It's Not Over
by patricia51
Summary: Needy is on the run after wiping out Low Shoulder. She knows that there are more monsters out there. But she finds she doesn't have to go it alone when she's recruited by a shadowy organization and finds out that not being human doesn't always mean evil. Complete.
1. The Search

It's Not Over, Chapter One by patricia51

(Needy is on the run after wiping out Low Shoulder. She knows that there are more monsters out there. But she finds she doesn't have to go it alone when she's recruited by a shadowy organization and finds out that not being human doesn't always mean evil.)

(This will be an adventure/horror story mostly although I don't discount the possibility of romance later on be it straight or, given Needy's relationship with Jennifer, femslash.)

(The Search)

Anita Lesnicki was tired, cold, wet and lonely. She was also lost in the concrete caverns of whatever city this was she was in. The name didn't matter. They were all the same; gray at best, dark black at worst. And the worst of it was the dark figures that moved through the streets.

She pushed the hood back from her face and raked her hair from her eyes. The worst thing was that she no longer could trust what her eyes saw. She could never be sure that the next person she met with a warm smile and an open hand was really as they seemed to be or was another demon waiting to find the right moment to feed on her.

A rumble in her stomach reminded her that there was a more immediate need. Wearily she pushed herself to her feet, hunching her shoulders against the rain. She had no money for food. Perhaps she would be lucky in the next garbage can she inspected. Perhaps she would be incredibly fortunate and find a mission that wouldn't connect her to the girl now being displayed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

One thing, she smiled grimly, she didn't have to be worried about being attacked or molested. Whatever had passed to her from Jennifer's bite had made her faster and stronger than she had any right to be. She found that out when she escaped the asylum and she confirmed it when she confronted the band that had destroyed her and her best friend in their quest for fame and fortune.

Well they had all paid for that. She hoped they were enjoying their new home with the patron to whom they had sacrificed Jennifer. She wondered if they thought they would never have to pay up for what they did, in this world or the next. They had in this one.

From the moment they had opened the hotel room door to the moment the last one collapsed lifeless on the bathroom floor she had been a blur the drunken and drugged Satan worshippers could not have contended with sober. As each one fell she felt redeemed for what she had been forced to do to Jennifer.

She admitted it; she had loved Jennifer. The long ago days that Jennifer, or what wore Jennifer's body, seduced her with; those days they played boy and girl together meant more to her than she had ever acknowledged. The kiss Jennifer had given her had nearly drawn her in, nearly made her give way. But it had only been the shell of Jennifer. No matter how she acted the real person was gone.

What had absolutely astounded her, when she thought nothing could do that anymore, was the way that members of the band cried out to heaven, to God, for help. How could they expect that? She had nearly left one alive simply so she could find out why he would do that when he and the others were already the property of the other.

She dismissed the thought as unimportant as another dull rumble of thunder brought her back to the present. Looking around her she wearily trudged up the street, disappearing into the rain and fog and night.

(Elsewhere)

"No luck at all, Don?"

The trim dark-haired man in his thirties sighed as he looked at the woman peeking over his shoulder. Short, slender and red-headed the woman appeared to be about twenty. Even her frown did nothing to alter the appearance of wide-eyed innocence. An innocence that he knew had fooled many people that she and he and the group they belong to had crossed paths with.

"No Bridget, no luck. There wasn't anything to report about her ten minutes ago. There wasn't anything to report about her five minutes ago. And there's nothing new now either."

The red-head collapsed into the chair next to him. Ignoring a pointed look she lifted her feet to an unused console, crossing her ankles. She appeared to be completely indifferent about the goodly expanse of legs that her already short skirt was showing off.

"Would you get your feet off the equipment," grumbled Don.

The only response was for the girl to uncross her ankles enough to kick her heels off and wiggle her toes.

"God I'm glad I didn't have to wear these growing up. I do love the way they make my legs look and as skinny as they are they need lots of help but I mean my feet are killing me." She laced her fingers behind her head and sighed as though it was now her turn.

"I know Don. I know you're looking for a needle in a haystack but this girl we really need to find, and find her before the FBI and two dozen other agencies Federal, State and Local do. I suppose we could break her out if need be but that's not going to be easy considering her notoriety and how she managed to get out of the asylum. People get hurt in break-outs and that's not how we like to do business."

"I know," the man tossed over his shoulder even as he resumed typing and clicking, his attention now back on the four monitors before him.

"I mean goodness; she fought a succubus hand to hand and won. Single-handedly. Who else do we have who can do that? Besides me of course."

"Of course. Try not to be too modest."

Bridget shrugged. "That's just a fact of life, so to speak. Nothing I planned on or intended had anything to do with that."

Still fixated with his search Don reached out a hand and patted the woman on her knee. "I know. And I understand completely what you are saying. There's so few of us it seems like sometimes and the ones we have to deal with appear to multiply daily. A recruit like Anita, well, what she could do is amazing." He looked up for a moment and grinned. "You could take a vacation or something."

"Yep," the woman agreed. She pushed up the sleeves of her blouse and pretended to be examining her pale skin. "I could find a nice beach to lie out on. I really need to work on my tan after all."

Don snorted, and then stopped as the phone built onto the console rang. He snatched it up.

"Yes?"

"Where?" Fingers started to dance wildly over the keyboard.

"When?" A mouse clicked and a city map appeared on one screen.

"Thanks." He hung the phone up. ""We found her!"

The red-head abandoned her pose of calm, her feet hitting the floor as she sat up. "Where?" she asked, not caring at all that she was echoing his question of a moment ago.

"Here. In the city! One of our watchers saw her!"

Almost faster than Don could follow Bridget was out of the chair and out of the room. Before the door closed the computer operator heard the clang of a metal locker door. Then the woman was back in with him. She dumped some clothing on yet a third chair. Looking at the monitor she yanked her blouse from her skirt and started to undress, paying no attention to the fact that someone was with her.

"Where Don? Talk to me." She tossed her blouse on the chair she had been sitting in moments before. Her skirt followed. Still giving no care to modesty she struggled out of her pantyhose, hopping on one foot as she did.

"She's down on Broad Street at the Salvation Army Mission there." Don zoomed in on the location, trying to ignore the fact that his friend who was practically touching him was clad only in a skimpy black lace bra and matching panties before she yanked on a pair of faded jeans and a wash faded men's flannel shirt. "She's wearing a green hoodie and torn tan cargo pants."

Bridget plopped in the chair she had just deposited her discarded clothes in, regardless of the wrinkles she might be putting in them. She worked her feet into black running shoes. Snatching up a ragged jacket she stood up.

"Call upstairs and tell them where I've gone. If a back-up team is available send it." She inserted an almost invisible earpiece with a tiny wire that led down to a round mike that she clipped inside her shirt.

"They'll want you to wait for the team," protested Don.

"That could be too late. She's on the run and anything much might spook her. She might mistake a team for the police. Besides, I can get there before they even leave here."

"What do I tell them you're doing?"

"Tell them I'm getting a bite to eat," she tossed over her shoulder and then she was gone.

At the Salvation Army Mission Needy slumped back against the wall in an inconspicuous corner. Just for a moment she let herself relax. That was all she told herself, just a moment. She had eaten, she was warm and out of the rain, she had even got new dry clothes. This was the most peaceful moment she had since she realized what Jennifer had become and set out to stop her.

Regardless of her determination her eyes closed slowly. She jerked herself awake once and then again. But the third time her lids fluttered closed and she rested her head against the corner she could no longer fight off her fatigue, a fatigue that didn't just fill her body but encompassed her soul as well. Her breathing slowed and became regular. She slept and her mind wandered far away to a place where it was safe.

Bridget slipped in the door, her green eyes lowered but taking in every square foot of the room. She entered the serving line, accepting a plate of food with thanks. She made a mental note to be sure to make an anonymous donation to the Mission, both from the organization and her personal funds. After all, she had plenty of those and not a lot to spend them on and from the looks of things this place simply couldn't fill all the needs of the people who depended on it no matter how hard the obviously caring staff worked.

Sitting down she pretended to concentrate on the food while she continued to scan the room. She listened with her ears as well, the sounds around her helping her eliminate person after person.

There she was! Sleeping in the corner. Bridget's heart tugged at its strings as she took in the bedraggled and exhausted young woman. It shouldn't have happened; she should still be in high school learning about life instead of having gone through what she had. Bridget sighed, remembering her own past. Life took funny turns before it ended. And after.

As she was debating how best to approach Anita a furtive movement caught the corner of her eye. It was a man on a cell phone. There was nothing unusual about that except that he was staring at Anita. With his phone still open and his eyes still darting towards her as he made his way to the door.

Crap. Time to go. Bridget stood and headed for the slumbering girl. As she did she saw the young woman's eyes pop open.

"Danger!" Needy's mind screamed at her as she woke up. Her mind still sleep fogged she couldn't pinpoint what was sending her the signal. Then her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of steadily closing sirens and she stumbled to her feet. Literally stumbled as her right leg had fallen asleep.

A hand caught her arm, steadying her. Surprised she looked at her arm and then up into a pair of deep green eyes. The hand on her arm tugged.

"Come on Anita, it's past time to go. The cops will be here very soon and we don't want to have to hurt them getting out of here."

"Who are you?" even as Needy asked the question she followed the short slender female. "And where are we going?"

"We're going to the back door, my name is Bridget and I'm a friend and possibly if things work out your new partner."

"Partner? What are you talking about?"

"Later! Right now we need to get out of here." They stopped at a steel door that Needy surmised led to the back alleyway. The woman turned to her and took her hands in hers.

"Anita, look, I know what you ve been through. I'll explain it all when we're safe and sound and believe me there is such a place. But for right now, you have to trust me. Okay?"

Needy studied the other woman. Something about her pricked at the new senses she had but at the same time she read sincerity and care in those green eyes. She made a snap decision that would change her life. Again.

"Okay."

(To be continued)


	2. Surprises

It's Not Over, Chapter Two by patricia51

(Surprises)

Needy watched as Bridget started to push open the door. She was surprised when the other girl stopped and looked the door over. She was even more surprised when the petite red-head jumped up. Clinging to the upper door frame with one hand she ran her other fingers along the top. With a grunt of satisfaction the other girl gave a yank at something before she dropped back to the floor.

"Come on," she told Needy as she opened the door.

"What was that all about?"

"Fire doors have an alarm on them to sound when they're opened. I don't think we really want that." With that Bridget pushed her out into a dark alley way and closed the door behind them. The only light was from a flickering street lamp across the road that seemed to give no illumination at all.

"This way." As though she could see perfectly clearly the other girl took her hand and led her unerringly down the alley, avoiding dumpsters, abandoned cars and pools of stagnant water along the way.

The fugitive girl could hear the sirens closing on the front of the mission. As they neared the end of the alley she turned her head to see the dimness was broken by cascading red and blue lights. But they were all at the other end and for a moment Needy hoped she was indeed being taken to safety.

Then a bright light illuminated the pair of them and a voice commanded them to halt.

"Shit," muttered Bridget to herself. Just when they had almost made it clear. By now Don should have a pick-up team very close by. Her sharpened vision took in the police officer baring the way and she realized three things.

First the officer was young, very young and from the look on his face and the tenseness of his body was probably new to the job. Second was that the light was coming from an aluminum police style flashlight mounted underneath a wicked looking shotgun, one that looked even more menacing than usual since it was aimed at them. Third the probably rookie officer knew he was tracking someone reputed to be very dangerous indeed and he was all alone and it looked like he was scared. To scared. In fact...

"SHIT!" This time the word was full voiced. Realizing what the scared young officer was about to do she reached out her arm to give Needy a shove. But the other girl had fallen slightly behind her and was out of reach. Bridget could see the whitened finger tightening on the shotgun's trigger and did the only thing she could. She sprang between the muzzle and the other young woman.

Needy was just raising her hands in surrender when she caught the wild eyed look in the officer's eyes, a wild eyed look that was familiar. She had seen it in her own eyes for an instant in a mirror when she crashed through Jennifer's bedroom window. He was losing control. Her body tensed in an automatic but futile response.

Then a body hurtled between them just as the shotgun went off. Only one pellet made it past the red-headed human shield to trace a bloody line along Needy's left shoulder.

She wanted to scream as Bridget's body hit the ground but found her voice was as paralyzed as the rest of her muscles. The police officer looked down at the shotgun in his hands as though he had never seen it before in his life.

"Oh my GOD! I didn't mean to..." the officer stared down at Bridget's body with horror.

Needy thought this might be her only chance to escape while he seemed frozen. As awful as the situation was and why in heaven's name had Bridget done that it wouldn't help for her to go to jail. Then her jaw dropped and she froze once more in shock as the woman on the ground was suddenly springing back to her feet.

"Damn that HURT!"

The officer's mouth gaped open as much as Needy knew hers was doing. That probably made it easier when Bridget snatched the shotgun out of his unresisting hands and tossed it to one side. Needy was worried it might go off again until she caught a glimpse of it as it sailed through the air. Even the best firearms don't work with its barrel bent in a half circle.

Bridget's left arm shot out and her clenched fist knocked the police officer back into the wall. In a blur that made Needy blink her eyes the red-head was squatting over him checking his breathing and pulse. She straightened up and turned to beckon to Needy.

"He's going to have a helluva headache for a while when he wakes up but there shouldn't be any damage. I didn't hit him that hard."

"Didn't hit him that hard?" a bemused Needy thought. "I'd hate to see her hit anyone what she might consider hard."

Bridget grabbed her hand once more and pulled. The two young women broke into a trot, turning the corner of the alley way onto a street nearly as dark as the one they had left. To the right was the bulk of a police cruiser. They went left, Bridget fishing inside her jacket.

"Don? Talk to me. Where are they?"

Neely couldn't hear an answer but obviously Bridget could as she nodded and said "Thanks." before breaking into a run. The pair rounded one more corner and a set of vehicle lights flashed from a parking lot.

"Over here," the red-head said, rather unnecessarily.

Two figures in workman's clothes with some sort of logo on their breasts jumped out of the truck. They opened the side compartments of the tool boxes built onto the back of the vehicle. Shelves of tools swung out to reveal a hidden compartment beneath them.

"One for you and one for me," Bridget pointed.

"Quick," said one of the men, holding out his hand. He led Needy to the other side and helped her in to her hiding place. "Don't worry, you have plenty of air holes and it won't be all that long a trip. Assuming of course we don't get caught but that's a chance we have to take."

Needy wanted to ask a million questions but the man was already pushing the tool racks back into place over her and then closing the outer door. She could still hear clearly, certainly enough to hear the first man talking.

"God Bridget you're bleeding all over my damn truck. Don't you ever manage to duck anything?"

"Apparently not. Well it will stop shortly."

"Stop shortly?" Needy thought. Then her wondering just what was going on with Bridget changed to wondering what all this was going on around her. Who were these people and what did they want with her? So far they had seemed to be on her side, or at least considered that they were on her side maybe. After all Bridget had thrown herself in front of a shotgun for her. She shivered as her mind replayed the scene; Bridget flying backwards and then hitting the ground only to bounce back to her feet. Maybe the red-head was wearing a bullet resistant vest or something like that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the truck backed out. Her sharpened senses told her that the truck was not speeding away but rather the driver was being casual, just like someone on their way home from some sort of service call.

A low pitched voice came from the cab. "Roadblock up ahead. Just sit tight and we'll handle it."

The truck slowed to a stop-. There was a bit of a wait then it jerked forward a bit. Another pause and then another move up. Needy realized they were in line but the suspense was about to drive her as crazy. Then there were voices again.

"Good evening officer. Here's my license and our company insurance card."

"That's not required tonight. This isn't a roadside check. We're looking for a pair of extremely dangerous females."

A snort came from the passenger side. "Based on my two divorces I'd say that applies to all females."

"I hear you," came a laugh from that side of the truck. "Seriously though, one of the females is a mass murderer. Killed her best friend and then wiped out an entire rock band. We had a tip where she was but some other female we don't know helped her escape. They couldn't have got far, one officer encountered them only a couple of blocks from here and they resisted. He shot one so they must be around here."

"Well, no haven't seen any females wandering or staggering around with a gunshot wound. Just the broken cable connection we finally finished tracing."

Needy tensed as she her some rattling in the truck bed. A stray crack in the built in tool box showed a flashlight was being used to check there. But then came the next words.

"You guys be careful. Look at this wanted picture. If you see her call 911 immediately."

"You got it. Hey was that band that got murdered Low Shoulder?"

"You heard about it huh?"

"Yea. Didn't pay much attention. Their music sucked anyway."

"Go on get out of here," scolded the cop. "That's a terrible thing to say. Even if you ARE right."

Needy felt the truck pull away gently and breathed a sigh of relief. Now it looked like all she had to worry about were her new acquaintances.

It seemed like hours but was probably no more than twenty minutes or so before the truck slowed down once more, turned and bumped over something. It came to a stop. There was the sound of a metal door or doors being closed. Then the truck tool box was opened, the shelves swung out and an offered hand helped Needy climb from her hiding place.

She looked around. They were in a concrete garage with several other vehicles lines up. An open door was to her right. There was a grunt from the other side of the truck.

"I bet you're going to expect me to clean up that mess aren't you?' came the voice of the vehicle driver.

"Why what a terrible thing to be saying," Bridget's voice floated over the truck. "Even if you are right."

"Bit of an Irish accent," Needy thought even as she was escorted through the door and down the hallway. Bridget and the other "cable repairman" were right behind them. One of the doors that lined the hallway opened and a man in his thirties stuck his head out. Needy noticed he was wearing a headset.

"All good?"

"Yes Don except that I'm afraid the radio you gave me is busted," replied the other woman.

"And that's not all. I see you shredded yet another jacket and shirt and probably those jeans."

"Yes I did. Good thing I took them out of your locker huh? I would have hated to have ruined anything of mine.'

"Bridget!"

The red-head ignored the sputtering man. She walked up coming up to Needy before leaning over and whispering.

"I really didn't use his clothes but isn't it fun to see him go nuts?"

Needy felt her eyes widen. She looked at the red-faced man and then at the girl beside her who s green eyes twinkled with laughter. And she laughed. It felt good. It felt very good. It had been a long time since Needy had found anything to be worth laughing at. She needed it.

"Anita I know you probably have a million questions but you look like you have been drug through the knothole backwards." Bridget guided her to another door and opened it. "This is one of the guest quarters. Why don't you take a shower and get some sleep? If you're hungry there's a phone in there and our kitchen is open till all hours. By the way, the door locks from the inside. If you want to wait just a few minutes I can get you something to sleep in and maybe some new clothes for when you wake up."

Needy could hear the shower calling and even more than that the soft bed she could see neatly made up in the room. But before she crashed she needed to know something.

"Bridget?"

"Yes Anita?"

"Why? Why are you helping me?"

"Let's just say that the troubles you faced back home aren't the only ones in this world by a long shot. There's a lot of evil out in the world and a lot of innocent people get hurt. There are things that most folks believe only exist in nightmares. They're real and there are way too many humans who are in league with them. We belong to an organization that exists to battle that evil. And we'd like you to help us."

Before Needy could say anything more the shorter girl gave her a hug and pushed her towards the room. "Everything else can wait till tomorrow. Go. I promise you that tonight you are completely safe."

Once more Needy believed her. "Good night Bridget."

"Good night Anita."

(To be continued)


	3. An Offer

It's Not Over, Chapter Three

(An Offer)

Needy opened her eyes and sat up in a panic. Where was she? Then her memory returned and she laid back down on the bed after she reached out and turned on the bedside lamp. For a moment she felt herself surrendering to the softness of the mattress and the comfort of the pillow. But now that she was awake there were too many questions swirling around in her head and she wouldn't find the answers for them laying here.

She swung her feet out of the bed and sat up, looking at the room with a bit of dismay. She had been so tired last night all she could do was fall into bed, barely able to get out of most but not all of her soaking wet clothes. Things were a mess.

A soft knock on the door and an already familiar voice brought her attention back to the present.

"Anita? Are you up?"

Needy crossed to the door and unlocked it. It swung open, displaying her new friend from last night. Bridget was balancing a tray in one hand and holding a bundle of clean clothes under the other arm. The smell of fresh brewed coffee made Needy's head spin.

"You must have crashed right away last night," the red-head said with a smile. "I came back by not five minutes after you closed the door and I could hear you snoring." When Needy blushed the other girl waved her hand after dropping the clothes on to the table by the door. "Don't worry," she teased, "it wasn't that loud. I just happen to have really good hearing."

Once again Needy sensed that there was something different about Bridget, something strange. But at the same time she didn't feel any warning signs. Indeed she felt comfortable, even safe, with the other girl.

"So," Bridget set the tray down beside the clothing, "now that you're up why don't you jump in the shower while I go get you some breakfast. Ham and eggs and biscuits sound good?"

"Yummy."

"Great. Take your time. I'll knock when I get back."

Thirty minutes latter Needy felt as comfortable as she had in a very long time. Bathed and stuffed she shared the last of the coffee pot with Bridget, who had declined any of the food but gladly drank her share of the coffee.

"Feel better?" Bridget smiled as she sat back in her chair with her coffee cup cradled in her hands.

"Better than I've felt in a long time."

"No doubt. What you have been through would have destroyed many people, including most of those who consider themselves tough."

"Bridget? How much do you know?"

"About what happened to you? Pretty much all the general details. What happened to your friend Jennifer; what she, or rather the creature that possessed her body, did and what you did about it. Your confinement in a mental institution; your escape and the justice you brought to that band of Satan worshippers that caused the whole mess. The entire experience has left you on the run from the law; understandably bitter and suspicious and incidentally having new capabilities that seem at times to you super-human and sometimes in-human."

"How do you know all this?"

"The organization I am a member of, and that hopefully when you hear me out you will be interested in joining, tries its best to keep tabs on dark happenings. Unfortunately most of what we learned about you came after the events you lived through, mostly while we were trying to pick up your trail."

The red-head sighed and looked away from Needy, her green eyes focused on nothing at all. "The story of our lives sometimes I fear. There is so much that needs watching, so much that needs doing and so few people to do it. Plus," her expression became grim, "sometimes the good guys don't win. Sometime we lose and when we do people lose their lives, innocents and our people alike."

Needy was touched by the sadness on her new friend's face. Without thinking she leaned forward across the little table they had shared coffee on and covered the hand the other girl had laid on the table top in sympathy.

For a moment she started. Bridget's hand was cool. Very cool. Perhaps the other girl was ill or something. She seemed pale, her freckles standing out on her face. Once more Needy's new senses pricked but once again they relaxed.

"And your organization?"

A smile returned to Bridget's face and she seemed more the cheerful woman barely out of her teens that Needy had come to know and trust already. "Perhaps it's a bit pretentious, but we are called 'The Knights of Saint Michael'. The organization was founded centuries ago as an offshoot of some of the old Crusader knightly fellowships and chose Michael the Archangel as its patron."

"By the way, the members are made up of a number of different faiths. We number Christians of just about every denomination in our ranks along with Moslems, Hebrews, Buddhists, Wiccans, people of obscure or near extinct sects and people with no religious faith at all. I myself by the way am an old time Catholic still more comfortable with the Mass said in Latin rather than the vernacular. But we share the belief that evil exists beyond the capabilities of normal law and order and a determination to protect those that evil would prey upon."

Needy pondered what the other girl had told her.

"I have to say that while it's obvious to me that the supernatural exists the only evidence I have seen of it has been evil. I have a hard time accepting that equal or superior forces for good exist."

"Like angels. Or even God."

"Yes. How can he, or she, exist at all with all that goes on in the world."

Bridget thought for a moment. A faraway look appeared in her green eyes and for a moment she looked so sad Needy thought the other girl was going to cry. Then she shook her head, red locks flying and seemed to come back to the present.

"It's the stock answer Anita but that doesn't make it wrong. In fact it's what I believe. It's the idea of free will. Everything and everyone gets to choose their path and they can turn around on it at anytime. Whether demons like the one that possessed Jennifer's body actually are fallen angels who rebelled against God or if they are remnants of some earlier world or out of another dimension I don't know. But they do what they do because they want to, not because of any destiny that compels them to act evil."

"I believe it too because I know of other creatures, people, things, that by normal folklore should be evil but they're not. They had a choice and they turned away from the Dark to the Light. It's not that simplistic of course. There's no single moment that makes you 'Good' forever or 'Evil' even. It's a choice that has to be constantly repeated."

The red-head looked embarrassed. "Anyway, that's my opinion of the subject. But belief or not is not really the main issue as far as I or the organization is concerned. It's simply whether you want to stand with us or not. If you don't, it's perfectly understandable. We will do what we can to find you a new identity and settle you somewhere as safe as we can. But I hope you will join us. I really need a partner."

Needy mulled over everything that Bridget had told her. She came to a decision. "Where do I sign up?"

"If you are really serious?"

"Yes."

"Then you just did. We don't have membership cards or stuff like that or forms to fill out. We do have a membership initiation ritual that takes place at dawn and you'll need to learn the signs and signals that we use to identify other Knights. They change fairly often by the way as people come and go and when we believe they have been compromised."

"People come and go?"

"We aren't a monastic order Needy." The other girl actually giggled. "I was never EVER meant to be a nun. This is a calling but it doesn't have to be for life. Some people join to help avenge a situation and then leave. It's fine. Everyone does what they can. To take someone beyond that point would be wrong. Well, maybe a sudden resignation given by dropping your sword and bolting for the exit when someone says 'You take the five thousand on the left' is not going to be greeted with a lot of enthusiasm but we can't exactly court-martial someone."

"Swords?"

"Believe it or not swords are a very effective way of dealing with many, even most, of the non-human adversaries we encounter. Pretty much anything that is clothed in material flesh can be handled by cutting its head off. Not everything. You'll learn."

Needy shook her head. "This is all rather overwhelming. What in the world could survive getting its head chopped off?"

"A particularly rare form of shape shifter called a doppelganger. We'll probably never meet one but their entire body is mutable. They can put all their vital organs elsewhere and simply sprout a new head. Kind of like Jeeves in 'Men in Black'. We're much more likely to rub across a rogue gargoyle and it's pretty hard to find a sword sharp enough to cut a stone head off."

Needy groaned. "Rogue gargoyles?"

"Gargoyles are created beings infused with energy to make them semi-conscious and mobile. They're guardians and normally if you don't bother them or what they are protecting they won't bother you."

"So we more go after what? Werewolves and stuff like that?"

"Werewolves are pretty rare. There are two kinds by the way. The regular ones you think of, who catch lycanthropy from a bite and then the second kind. Mostly from the American Southwest they're called 'skinwalkers' and are Native American shamans who can assume a wolf form. And once again, you can't jump to conclusions. I once met a wereleopard, well, wereleopardess actually, who was as good and heroic as any member of our order in fighting evil."

"Amazing."

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Bridget quoted. "Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5. Makes you wonder if old Will knew more than he let on. He understood things. There are more strange things going on out there than most people could ever dream about."

"And what about you Bridget? What is the strange thing about you?"

"What about me?"

"There's something different about you Bridget. I felt it when we first met. Oh, I'm not scared of you, whatever heightened sense is telling me all this seems to reassure me that you're not a danger to me. But so many things about you don't add up. Your speed and strength, the coolness of your body and let's NOT forget about you taking a shotgun blast in the chest and bouncing up from it. And don't hand me crap about 'he missed me' or anything like that. If we are going to be partners than I deserve to know."

The red-head looked surprised and then nodded. "You're right. It would have come out shortly anyway. I haven't exactly been dodging things with you but I wanted you to feel comfortable with me, safe with me before I told you. And by the way you ARE perfectly safe with me."

"So?"

"Needy I saw the first production of Hamlet. I knew Will Shakespeare and yes he wrote the plays. I'm five hundred years old." She paused.

"And I'm a vampire."

(To be continued)

(Anyone remember where "You take the five thousand on the left" came from?)


	4. Something About Bridget

It's Not Over, Chapter 4

(Something About Bridget)

Needy stared at the red-head. The revelation somehow was not surprising, she had sensed there was something very different about the other girl from the time she had met her. Still, this was a lot more than she had expected. She groped for something to say.

"So, you're five hundred years old?"

The self-confessed vampire relaxed a bit. Needy realized just how tense the other girl had been waiting for her response. A smile crept over the red-head's lips.

"Actually I'll be four hundred and sixty in August. I was born in 1552 in County Kerry in Ireland."

"But you're not alive."

"No the normal term is 'undead' although I have to admit even I'm put off by that term. 'Immortal' is more to my liking." Bridget suddenly snorted. "With all the political correctness making its rounds I'm surprised someone hasn't come up with 'existentially challenged' or some such crap." She became more thoughtful. "Actually I DO suppose 'prone to severe sunlight allergy reaction syndrome' would be appropriate."

Needy lifted an eyebrow. "So that part of the vampire mythos is correct? Even if obviously from what you've been saying the 'incredibly evil killer' part isn't?"

"Well, kind of yes and no to the second part. That's the free will thing I was talking about. Some vampires are what we, you and I, would call good. Some are evil. And some, especially the very old ones, are rather indifferent about the whole thing. They're pretty self-absorbed and don't much notice or care for anything that doesn't directly concern them. The oldest one I ever met, who was once a Roman General, was like that."

"Wow, so he's like two thousand years old?"

"If he's still around. Last time I heard of him he was up in Canada. If he's seriously misbehaving he's doing it very quietly. The last thing most of us want is to draw attention to ourselves."

"Why is that?"

"Like any feared minority, especially one that there is actual reason TO fear, we do best to keep a low profile. Yes, some of what the legends say about us are true; we're inhumanly fast and strong, we can see in the dark, and we can shrug off things that would kill a normal human."

"Like a shotgun blast."

"Uh-huh. Still hurts though. I had forgotten how much. The last time I took a shotgun blast at point blank range was during the American Civil War. And that one was worse. Instead of nicely machined buckshot it was old ball bearings and nails as I recall."

"So some of the stories about you, about vampires are true, which means some are not." Needy was finding herself more and more fascinated by this girl; someone who frankly admitted she was not human, indeed was one of mankind's most infamous nightmares and yet seemed to be someone she felt she could completely trust.

"Exactly." Bridget seemed to ponder for a moment. "How would you like it? Me giving you a lecture or you asking questions as things strike you and me answering? I promise the truth except many names will be changed to protect the innocent. Or not so innocent."

"How about you start and I jump in as things happen to hit me?" suggested Needy.

"Okay. Let's see," Bridget pondered and then laughed. "You know, I've not had to produce a full explanation of myself since nineteen forty-three? And I think the time before that was the American Civil War."

"The American Civil War?"

"There have been a lot of civil wars. Although it was incredibly bloody the US one was in many ways a much more civilized one than say the Spanish Civil War. The American one was divided along regional boundaries rather than the brother-against-brother one so many are."

"And that was the last time you got shot with a shotgun."

"Uh-huh. I'm not even sure by whom or exactly what side they were on either. It was all a rather confusing situation."

"You'll have to tell me how you happened to find yourself in those situations," remarked Needy.

"One day I will," promised Bridget. Her eyes glinted with mischief. "When we know each other better. Let's just say neither of those times I mentioned would be appropriate for a "G" rated show. Or even a PG-13 one."

The redhead turned serious again. "Okay, the number one thing about vampires. We drink blood. Human blood. Animal blood can keep us going for short periods of time but eventually we have to have human blood to survive. That part is absolutely true.

"The good part is the innumerable scenes you have seen where a vampires bites a human and then the human falls dead because all of her blood has been sucked out is ridiculous. Where would my body put all that? Actually Bram Stoker and the original Bela Lugosi movie 'Dracula' based on his novel got that part right. Dracula fed on his female victims night after night until they weakened and died, not all at once."

"Is that how you became a vampire?"

"How one becomes a vampire is a deep, dark, close-held secret among us. I won't reveal it. Suffice it to say it requires a lot of preparation and planning and can't be accomplished on the spur of the moment. It's one of the reasons there aren't going to be any vampire armies taking over the world."

"And the other reasons?"

"We're generally loners. Oh there are exceptions," she smiled. "I remember attending the wedding of two friends, a Scottish vampire and a Spanish one, in Paris just before the beginning of the French Revolution. But by and large we are solitary. We surround ourselves with lots and lots of people. And that leads to the third reason."

"Which is?" asked an increasingly fascinated Needy.

"Vampires are rare." Bridget shook her head. "For instance you'll see more vampires on an average episode of 'Buffy' or 'Angel' than are probably in all of North America. Besides the difficulty in creating other vampires there's no real incentive to add competition or take the risk that someone may go insane when they find out what happened to them and reveal our existence to the world."

Needy pounced on something Bridget had said. "Marriage. I assume that it was a civil ceremony?"

"In eighteenth century France? Not hardly. Church, priest, the whole nine yards. Oh, I see. I think anyway." Bridget reached into the open collar of her blouse and fished out a silver chain that was looped around her neck. Suspended from the chain was a worn silver crucifix.

"My parents gave me this for my First Communion," she said softly. She looked at it for a long moment. She stared off into the distance and Needy could tell the Irish girl was not seeing the wall on the other side of the room. When she came back to the here-and-now after a bit she shook her head and continued.

"I know of only two vampires afraid of crosses and one Arabic one who was repelled by the Koran. Out of curiosity I discussed the whole thing with Sigmund Freud. I told me those vampires were driven off by those holy objects because they believed they were SUPPOSED to be afraid of them. Or rather, he told me with a laugh, which would be true if such things as vampires existed."

"Did you hypnotize him or something?"

"No, vampires have no power of hypnotism. Nor can we turn into bats or wolves or such things. Were-creatures do that and I'm glad I don't. It would mess up my hair and make-up for sure. Speaking of make-up we do cast reflections in mirrors. And most of the other things; garlic, inability to cross running water, aversion to silver and such are simply not true."

"One set of tales that has come down through the centuries that is true is how to kill one of my kind. The stake through the heart, decapitation and exposure to direct sunlight all work just fine thank you very much. So if anything has to be done outside during daylight hours it will be up to you Anita."

"It's a deal."

Bridget looked at her appraisingly. "I must say you have taken this much more calmly than that last woman I went through this with. Of course she hadn't had your experiences to prepare her for the reality of the supernatural and she DID figure out something was different about me in a very unusual fashion."

"Who was she and how exactly did she discover your secret? Did you bite her?"

"Nooooo," laughed Bridget. "She was a WAC Lieutenant Colonel during World War Two. I was a Captain in the Army myself and we both were assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA. She was the senior female officer in England and ran the training facility/safe house outside of London while I was an operational agent who had just returned from France."

"But how did she know?" persisted Needy.

For the first time since they had met Bridget looked embarrassed. In fact she looked VERY embarrassed "Ah, for right now I'd prefer it if we could just let it stand that she figured it out. I'd rather get to know you a little better before I spring that on you."

Needy grinned again. Whatever else Bridget might be she was a fascinating person and the opportunity to get to know her better as well as spend her life fighting other evil creatures such as had taken Jennifer was just too much to even think about passing up.

"Okay but one day you will have to tell me. In the meantime, what's next."

"Today you relax. Catch up on your sleep. Wander the complex. Get to know the people. Tomorrow morning at dawn we'll have the initiation and then see about our first mission together."

"Do you know what it will be?"

"Not a clue but you can count on it being exciting. And dangerous. And something that needs very much to be done."

(To be continued)


	5. Training

It's Not Over, Chapter 5 by patricia51

(Training)

"More champagne Miss?" a waiter in a white jacket murmured to Needy.

"Why yes, thank you very much," the young woman replied. She set her empty fluted glass down on a handy side table and took a matching one full one from the proffered tray. She sipped and nodded her approval. The waiter inclined his head slightly and moved on to another guest.

Needy sipped again. Her gaze moved around the room almost languidly, seeming to notice really nothing at all. But in reality she was making a careful examination of each person who caught her attention, particularly those that seemed as though they weren't worth paying attention to.

"You never can tell," she heard Bridget's lilting voice, "sometimes the bad guys, generically speaking of course of male and female, human and inhuman, LIKE to stand out from the crowd. They want everyone to notice them, they need that attention. And by the way just because they are in need of serious ego-reduction surgery doesn't mean they are any less dangerous. Some of them quite live up to their own billing in just how dangerous they are."

"But," her partner had continued as the two of them sprawled on a couch in Bridget's room as they took a break from the training routine one evening and munched a chef's salad while they watched a romantic comedy on her DVD player. Or rather Needy ate her salad and Bridget pushed one around with her fork. "But it's more likely that our adversaries will lay a bit low. They may still be out in the open, the best place to hide is often in plain sight but they won't be the ones who draw your eyes to them. There's a reason that so many early English mysteries ended with 'the butler did it'. It's a perfect cover. Everyone knows you're there but no one pays any attention to you."

Speaking of her partner Needy heard Bridget's laugh rise above the muted conversation of the crowd around her. The girl vampire was talking to a group of young men, scions of the local movers and shakers Needy was pretty sure from their attire. They all stood well above the petite woman they nearly surrounded, Needy wasn't tall but Bridget was inches shorter than she was.

Still, although size couldn't be discounted it certainly wasn't everything. Needy recalled just how Bridget had demonstrated her ability to do things that simply were amazing. She reminded herself that the other girl wasn't human after all but still she was impressive as Needy's major coach during her training.

And what training it had been! Not just combat, although there had been classes on shooting, unarmed combat, improvised weapons, knife fighting and more. Tutors from all over the world had instructed. A smiling Filipino man had shown her just how deadly a simple stick could be, a Japanese woman taught a mixture of martial arts that seemed to combine a number of schools but proved easy to learn and potentially a surprise to any antagonist.

"You're stronger and faster than a normal human," Bridget had reminded her, "but many of the creatures we might encounter will make you look like the ninety-eight pound weakling from a Charles Atlas advertisement." At Needy's blank look the other girl had looked chagrinned.

"Sorry, I have a tendency to remember long out-of-date things." She went on to explain the source of her comment and its relevance.

Bridget herself had been Needy's instructor in sword-fighting.

"Most of what you see in the movies is exciting but not very helpful. Captain Jack and Will and Elizabeth are marvelous with their rapiers but swords like that aren't heavy enough for what we need. You have to have something capable of cutting through bone and thick hide which is very important when you need to separate an incubus from his head."

"Swords from the Age of Chivalry are out as well. Most of them are two-handed things four feet long or bigger, designed to batter their way through armor. You can hardly lug one of those around anyway, you certainly can't conceal it and while you're trying to lift it something much quicker may get to you."

Bridget had shown Needy her own sword. "This is a Japanese katana. It's a single edge and designed to be held with both hands although it can also be used one handed."

"Highlander!" Needy had exclaimed. "The heroes of both the movie and the TV series used swords like that."

Bridget had laughed. "That's true. And in fact I got mine in China, like Duncan MacLeod did, rather than in Japan itself."

"It's beautiful," she had said. "How old is it?"

"I've had it for about three hundred years. The person who had it before me," Needy noticed that for a moment the other girl once again was somewhere far away in time and space and the look of loss on the Irish girl's face made Needy want to cry, "That person also had it for some three hundred years so it dates from about the fifteenth century."

"Anyway," Once again Bridget returned from wherever she had been, "I've been giving this some thought. I do have another katana but it takes quite a while to learn to use it properly. You probably won't do much point fighting so I was thinking a good solid classic sword for you would be a saber."

The vampire girl produced a slightly curved sword in a metal sheath. "In fact this saber. It's a US Army Officer's Saber, Model of 1902. The blade is twenty-eight inches long which should be just right for you. Take it. Draw it and feel it."

Needy had never handled a sword before. The ringing sound of the blade coming out of its sheath touched something inside her, something exciting. She flourished the blade, admiring the workmanship and the way the shinning steel caught the light.

"Oh yes," smiled Bridget. "Yes, this definitely is yours. Now, we need to start making the pair of you a single unit when needed.

If the combat training pushed Needy's physical boundaries the other classes stretched her mental limits as well. She was staggered to learn about the other races and creatures that mankind unknowingly shared the planet with. As with individuals some of those races tended towards good, some were mostly evil and the majority fell into the same indifferent category that Bridget had mentioned the elder vampires were in.

"Even these are generalizations," explained the older man, whose white collar proclaimed him a clergyman of some denomination he never identified. "Sometimes individuals break the pattern for good or evil. After all, even Lucifer was once an angel. Just as he turned so we have known cases where members of the darkest demon groups have shed that allegiance and embraced the light."

Sometimes her head reeled and sometimes her body ached. But her body grew firmer and stronger than it had ever been before and her mind was quicker, picking up more from her environment and making more sense of things that once she would have never noticed.

"The devil is in the details," Bridget reminded her. "Look for the little things, the things that don't belong. Often they're the clue to what we will need to know to accomplish our mission. And survive while we're doing that."

When she had accepted Bridget's offer to join the organization that had rescued her she had assumed that she and her new partner would be headed out on some mission almost immediately. After all, Needy knew well how much evil could exist in the world. Instead she had been almost immediately launched into weeks of training.

"Needy we train all our new members," Bridget had explained. "And you most of all. You're unique and we, I, want you to be as well prepared as possible before you and I embark on anything. So be patient." The Irish girl gave Needy a hug. "I promise the bad guys won't have disappeared."

Needy had accepted Bridget's promise, and returned the hug as well. It felt nice. Not as nice as she remembered Jennifer feeling but she wondered if maybe that memory wasn't colored by time. Then she wondered just why she was thinking about her new partner like that.

Back in the here and now Needy watched Bridget play the group around her. A smile touched her lips. The petite vampire was gently but openly flirting with each and every one of the young males. Indeed, she had been flirting with more or less subtlety with just about everyone since they had arrived at this community a few days ago.

It had been a shock at first. Needy had assumed that they would be exploring crumbling castles or dark tunnels deep in the Carpathian Mountains. Instead, after they had slipped out of the hidden facility they had been whisked away to a plush house several states away. From there they had left in a Mercedes convertible. An overnight stay along the way was spent in the penthouse of a five star hotel where Bridget gave Needy a briefing.

"We're heading for a very up-scale gated community, filled with wealthy people secluded away from the world. But the world has come to them or possibly they have invited it in. There have been several disappearances over the last few months of residents. None of those have been reported to the police, even though a couple bodies have turned up."

"How do we know then?"

"Good question. Don and a couple other of our computer geniuses uncovered the information. How I really can't tell you. You could ask him maybe. I don't understand computers. In fact," Bridget looked embarrassed, "my subconscious tends to yell 'black magic' at me with a lot of modern innovations and computers certainly are one of them."

"Anyway something stinks. The victims are all female, mostly in their late teens or early twenties but there have been a couple older. They include residents, a guest or two and some of the working staff."

Jennifer and what had happened to her flashed across Needy's mind. She realized that she was holding her breath and that Bridget was looking at her with an expression of anxiety on her face. Abruptly the other girl pulled off the highway, switched off the car and turned to fully face her, taking her hands as she did."

"Are you okay?"

Needy made no attempt to dissemble. She sniffed. She hiccupped. And then she cried.

Bridget enfolded Needy in her arms and rocked her, making little noises of comfort while the girl cried herself out. Finally she hiccupped again twice and caught her breath.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly Anita," returned Bridget, brushing tangled locks from the other girl's face. "In fact I've been wondering when this was going to happen. If I'm not wrong, this is the first time you've actually allowed yourself to grieve for Jennifer and for yourself."

"I was in love with her," Needy admitted.

"I know. And it hurts, both losing her and what you had to do to. Even knowing that it was only her body that you were destroying and that it was no longer Jennifer wasn't much of a help. It's hard. But the only way to keep from being hurt is not to love. Believe me, I know."

"The person who gave you the sword."

"Yes. It nearly destroyed me. But I eventually found I could love again and so will you."

The rest of the ride Needy turned over Bridget's comments in mind. They passed through the gate and its armed security guards at their destination not long before morning, having driven most of the night, and arrived at the house where they would be staying. It was obviously expensive but not near as ostentatious as many of the other ones they had passed.

"Officially we're the cousins of a wealthy but reclusive software designer and taking advantage of his hospitality," Bridget explained. She grinned. "Live it up while we can. Speaking of that, we're invited to a reception at the country club tonight. So get dressed up. There should be some lovely clothes in your closets."

Needy sipped her champagne again and watched her partner, who looked incredibly attractive in a dark green dress. The long skirt was slit up the side, showing off matching heels and occasionally the top of the other girl's thigh high stockings.

She had to admit that she knew she was looking pretty good herself. A light blue high waisted dress flowed around her legs and a scoop on front teased the onlookers with a glimpse of her cleavage. Her hair was done up on top of her head except for a single braid that rested on the front of her right shoulder.

She still wondered. A thought that had struck her was how Bridget seemed to be avoiding any real mention of the person in China whom she had receieved her sword from and who obviously Bridget had loved. There had been no description, no hints and even no mention of that person's sex. Could it be that person was a woman?

Needy looked at the Irish vampire with new eyes. The petite redhead wasn't Jennifer of course but she was quite attractive and even sexy. Green eyes met her own from across the room and something in the look made Needy tingle.

Was she becoming attracted to her new partner? More likely it simply was because Bridget was so thoughtful and good to her. Putting the idea from her mind Needy reminded herself that they were here on a mission. A mission that might help her gain more revenge for what had happened to Jennifer.

(To be continued) 


	6. Crisis

It's Not Over, Chapter 6 by patricia51

(Crisis)

The first thing to catch Needy's attention was the chanting. Why was there chanting? And why was it so hard to open her eyes much less stretch and get up from where she was laying? Not only was whatever she was on hard and rough but it was cold.

But first she needed to solve this chanting thing. Her mind flew back to the morning after she had first agreed to join Bridget and the organization she belonged to, an organization that fought the evil that had cost her Jennifer and for a time her freedom. But there the low surrounding sounds had been singing as she and a young man whose name she couldn't recall but who had the same look in his eyes of pain and loss that she knew were reflected in her own were escorted in to the ceremony.

It had been outdoors, just as the sun was coming up. The world had seemed so fresh and clean as they followed an older man who held a great sword in front of him. She recalled the long plain white robes the two of them had been wearing, how they had laid their hands on the sword and promised to serve the Light in whatever fashion it appeared to them.

They had knelt and the singing had grown stronger. There had been the tap of the blade on her shoulder.

"Arise and be thou a knight, faithful and true."

When she stood up another young woman had draped a surcoat around her and fastened it, a surcoat that bore a red cross on the front.

"Not so much as a Christian symbol," Bridget had told her when the vampire girl explained the ceremony, "but as a reminder of the Crusading Orders that this organization sprung from. While certainly there were many abuses perpetrated by the orders the original intent, that of warriors for God, for good, was noble in itself. We have tried to live up to that tradition."

Needy had looked around hoping to see Bridget. As the sun broke the plane of the horizon, flooding the open green area with light she thought she saw a figure standing in the shelter of a doorway fade away. Of course the petite Irish vampire had to stay out of the sun.

"And not just the direct sun," Bridget had told her. "The idea in 'Angel' and such that a vampire can simply throw a coat over their head and dash about unharmed is ridiculous. While I won't burst almost instantly into flames in indirect sunlight it will definitely have its effect. It takes very little time and I'll start shaking uncontrollably and act as though I have a fever. Although my skin will still be cold it will be clammy and I'll begin to stagger. Shortly delirium will set in and I just as likely to fall into the sunlight as away from it."

Her partner had been quite mater-of-fact in her recital but once again Needy detected something much deeper in the other girl's voice and eyes. There was a longing there that Bridget thought she was concealing but that Needy already knew the other girl well enough to detect.

But the chanting. It was louder now. Needy couldn't understand the words but something about them made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She strove as hard as she could to open her eyes just a little.

No luck. So her body wasn't responding. But her mind was, if she could clear the cobwebs from it.

"Reach back Needy," she advised herself. "What do you remember last?"

Okay there was the cocktail party they attended the night after their arrival. It had actually been rather fun. The clothes had been tasteful yet obviously expensive. There had been food and drink in lavish amounts. Still, remembering what had happened once before Needy had been very careful about how much she drank. She noticed that Bridget was drinking much more and yet seemed to have her wits about her at all time. Rather than the usual Irish lilt in her voice that Needy had become accustomed to the vampire girl's voice had become that of the Deep South as had some of her mannerisms. She sailed through the throng flirting like she was Scarlett O'Hara.

Late in the evening, or rather early in the morning, they made their way back to their house. Once there Needy tackled Bridget on several questions that had occurred to her. Before she could start though Bridget laid a finger against her lips in the near universal sign for quiet. Her partner opened a locked case and produced an electronic device that thanks to her training Needy recognized as a bug sweeper. After turning it on they walked quickly through the house. The device registered nothing.

"Good," sighed Bridget as she switched it of. "The 'Movers' who brought the furnishings were some of us and they conducted a full sweep but you never know. In fact if we are doing our jobs properly, wiggling at the end of the fish hook, then sooner or later there will be listening devices here."

"There will?"

"Hope so. After all, we want the bad guys to try to grab us. Then we can rain thunder down on them. Whomever 'them' turns out to be. I'm willing to bet we met some of our targets tonight."

Needy nodded at the idea of bringing thunder down on the people responsible for the images she had seen. Women, from older teens to middle-aged, had been found crushed as though by a giant snake. Autopsies had revealed that they had been tortured prior to their deaths. And less than half of the missing women had been found. God alone, and the people they were in pursuit of, knew what had happened to them.

"We should check several times a day. Anyway, what did you want to ask me?"

"It sounds stupid," Needy said hesitantly.

"Oh come on. I've never heard you ask a stupid question."

Reassured by Bridget's sincerity Needy went on. "Two things actually. I tried to watch how much I drank but you had a LOT but seemed in perfect control. Does alcohol not affect vampires?"

"Yes but not nearly as much as a normal human. Drugs are the same although I've never been tempted in that regard. But it IS possible for me to get drunk. It's happened. Usually with disastrous results."

"And your Southern accent?"

"Ah that. When I first came to America in the early nineteenth century I settled in Savannah and then later in Charleston. Since the Irish were very definitely on the outermost fringes of society I had to shed that image and adapt. Part of that included adopting an upper class Southern accent."

"That came in useful during the Civil War. First as a Pinkerton and then as a member of the Union Secret Service I acted as a spy in Richmond and then as a counter-spy later in Washington. It was in the second role that I got myself shot. I'm still not sure by whom. I was caught up in the midst of all things a conspiracy between some of the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret organization of Confederates and Confederate sympathizers and a group of fanatical Union loyalists who objected to the release of an imprisoned Rebel female spy. I obviously had some kindred feelings with her and interestingly we had become friends after her capture. So I felt duty bound to temporarily break her out of prison and keep her safe until Allan Pinkerton and the moderates got things back under control."

"Fortunately the man hesitated long enough before shooting a woman for me to get in the way of the first barrel and I didn't give him a chance to fire the second one. But damn it hurt. I was picking old nails and rusty pieces of scrap metal out of me for days."

A thought from an American History lesson struck Needy. "You sais 'Rebel Spy'. Do you mean THE Rebel Spy? Belle Boyd?"

"Why yes. A very charming and lovely woman who was the most capable antagonist I ever crossed swords with in over a century and a half of espionage." The smile of remembrance that lit Bridget's face revealed more than just a little to Needy who filed it along with the mysterious person who gave Bridget her sword.

"So what's next?"

"More of the same. We keep looking. As hard as it may be," the Irish girl grinned, "we keep going to parties. Keep your eyes open. Use those feelings, those extra senses of yours. When someone feels wrong behind a plastic smile note it down in your memory. Flirt a lot. Play the eager but not too bright blonde. Don't overdo it though."

"I'm not sure you don't put too much faith in me. I'm no kind of flirt. I wouldn't know how."

"Nonsense. Anita, you underestimate yourself." Bridget put an arm around her. "You're beautiful, intelligent and tougher than you know. As for flirting," she grinned, "it's an in born talent. Just go with it. You might surprise yourself but you won't surprise me."

Surrendering for just a moment to her impulses Needy laid her head on the shorter girl's shoulder. Bridget's arm tightened. When the blonde lifted her head she found that she and Bridget were face to face. Green eyes met green eyes and there was something alight in the gaze of both of them. Parted lips were so close Needy could feel the vampire girl's cool breath on her own.

The moment hung between them before both girls recovered themselves. There was work to do, Needy reminded herself and she was pretty sure Bridget was thinking the same thing. They began to plan their forays into this world of high fashion and dark underside and how they might discover who was doing these things and stop them.

For nearly a week nothing seemed to happen. With her confidence bolstered Needy found that she could indeed flirt and flirt well. Okay maybe not as good as someone who had centuries of practice but she gathered a group of her own admirers, some younger and some older. And more than once her instincts told her that behind a smiling face something disturbing lurked.

Bridget more and more left Needy to be the center of attention. The Irish girl spent her time with the hired help; the serving personnel at the parties, the cooks, maids, gardeners and chauffeurs.

"Even after all these centuries I still feel more comfortable with people like that," she confessed to Needy one evening. "My Father ran an inn back in the little village I grew up in, which of course included food and drink. From the time I was able I helped out, making beds, washing linens and serving in the public room. I enjoyed it, hard work though it was."

Together the two girls began to build files on those they suspected were involved in the group they were pursuing. They were careful; it had only been a couple of days before the detector showed that bugs were cropping up in their house. Bridget was certain she had identified the person planting them, a young woman who was a member of the hired house-cleaning team.

Things had come to a head last night she remembered. They had been invited to a private dinner party. They had been careful, doubly careful after they discovered nearly half the other people present were ones they had suspected belonged to the bad guys. Since Bridget didn't actually eat much in the way of food (like a mouthful of soggy cardboard was how she had once described it) they had only needed to take care not to drink from the same wine decanter or cognac bottle. Or so they thought. Apparently the drug was in the water glasses.

Needy felt it first. Suddenly she seemed to be slowing down, as though she was moving through molasses. She saw that wide, evil grins were spreading over the faces of the other dinner guests. Bridget tried to stand, her hand reaching for her throat but failing to reach the locket around her neck before crashing face first on to the table. Needy tried the same thing but her vision swam and turned black before she could reach her own necklace and the emergency signal hidden in it.

"Just take the medallion between your fingers and squeeze," Bridget had instructed her. "A Knights' strike force is standing by and can helo in here in a hurry." She had grinned. "Remember in 'Men in Black' when Zed talks about 'the best of the best of the best'? Well these guys are. Former Rangers, Delta Force, SEALs and Force Recon. They're heavily armed and have even more firepower available with the choppers."

All that help wasn't going to do them any good if they couldn't signal it she knew. Rough hands grasped her and pulled her from her chair.

"Prepare her."

As she was dragged from the room she heard a commotion and then an angry voice.

"You idiot! You gave this one too much. She's dead! Fool! You better hope that SHE will be satisfied with just that one or you will replace her. Get rid of this one and take that one to the sacrifice grotto."

So here she was, still unable to move much more than her eyes. They did tell her a lot. She was nude and draped over a stone rectangle about the size of an above ground tomb. Around her figures in black robes chanted in some language she had never heard before. She strove once again to lift her hand without success. They hadn't even bothered to tie her.

The chanting grew louder, reaching a crescendo. At the far end of the dark area that Needy knew somehow was deep underground something moved towards her. It unfolded, reaching to a height no human could match. A slithering sound reached her ears. Then it came out into the light and Needy swallowed a scream she didn't think would pass her throat anyway.

A scaly body three feet thick stretched out for nearly fifteen feet as it came towards her in undulating motions. Atop the snake like body was the naked torso of a woman. A beautiful woman with long hair falling over stunning bare breasts. The creature smiled and showed a mouthful of razor sharp fangs.

This then was the creature hidden by and worshiped by the denizens of the community. A lamia, Needy recalled from her training. A formidable monster, even stronger than the succubus that had taken possession of Jennifer. Now she knew why the found victims looked to have been crushed and the others had simply disappeared. The lamia fed on human flesh she knew. It came closer to her.

Once upon a time Needy would have screamed and fainted. Once she would have cowered before such a thing, frozen in terror. But now the only emotion she could feel was anger, an anger that grew white-hot. The drug still claimed her but she found she could move very slightly. She tried harder. At least she wanted to die on her feet. She glared at the creature.

A loud crash echoed through the room as though a door or doors had been taken off their hinges. A familiar voice growled almost like an animal. A furious out-of-control animal.

"Get away from her you BITCH!"

As Needy struggled to move an enraged female vampire sailed through the air and crashed into the lamia. The blonde girl summoned her will and suddenly stood up. And the battle was joined.

(To be continued)

(By the way, Bridget's adventures during the Civil War (written elsewhere) are based on the exploits of Kate Warne. The first Pinkerton female operative she later became the Supervisor of Woman Agents and is sometimes described as "America's First Female Police Officer".)  
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	7. The Fight

It's Not Over, Chapter 7

(The Fight)

Needy wobbled on her feet as Bridget crashed into the human part of the lamia. She could see the vampire girl's fangs were showing and the normally green eyes had turned to glowing red. She bit and tore at the creature that had been about to feast on Needy.

Screams and cries from the hooded worshippers awoke Needy to her own danger. Half a dozen were rushing her, two of them wielding long, wickedly curved knives. Apparently the idea may have been for them to slice and dice the sacrifice.

Needy's anger and her no longer completely human responses shook off the remnants of the drugs. Not waiting to be attacked she sprang towards the onrushing group. She remembered the unarmed combat instructor telling her.

"Land the first blow. Make it count. Take someone out with it."

Needy proceeded to land the first blow. In fact she landed the first several blows. The attackers got in each other's way more than they helped. She stretched two of them out with hard punches and tossed another one over her shoulder and headfirst to the stone flooring. She grabbed an arm attempting to guide a thrusting knife and twisted it with her greater than human strength. He screamed as his wrist and elbow broke and dropped the knife. Pulling quickly she used his momentum to throw him into the other knife armed man. The screams dropped to a gurgle as he was impaled on his fellow worshipper's weapon. Needy noted that the knives WERE quite long since the tip protruded from the man's back.

Movement caught her eye. The lamia's tail wrapped around Bridget, pulling her loose before slamming her against the wall with a force that would have shattered the bones of any normal human. Bridget shook her head to clear the ringing bells from it and sprang back to the attack.

Needy realized that no matter how angry and determined the vampire girl was she was no match for the lamia. Only her inhuman speed and agility kept her from being caught in the creatures constricting coils. Even Bridget wouldn't survive their crushing strength. Her partner obviously realized that and was dodging back and forth, working her way closer while dodging lunges that twice sent hapless worshippers flying through the air and once simply ground a cloaked figure to mush between its body and unyielding stone floor. Needy saw Bridget had picked up one of the sacrificial knives and was attempting to get close enough to use it.

More figures were attacking her, even as the majority of them took to their heels. However there only seemed to be one way out and the frantic bodies quickly choked the opening. Needy thought she would help out. Grabbing one bare-handed attacker by the hip and arm she threw him into the crowd. Disappointingly it only seemed to add to the chaos. Oh well.

Then an onrushing figure caught her attention. His hood fallen away she recognized him as one of the middle-aged businessmen she had flirted with and indeed had been seated nearly beside her at the dinner. He was nearly frothing at the mouth but much more importantly he was waving a sword over his head. She leaped to meet him as he brought the sword down in a two-handed over head swing apparently designed to split her in half.

Since she was not in favor of that plan she reached up and stopped his swing with her left arm, her hand meeting his at the hilt. The impact must have jarred loose his grip for he merely stood dumfounded as she used her right hand to pluck the sword from his hands. She turned slightly.

"Bridget! Catch!"

The sword flew through the air. For a moment Needy was afraid she had misjudged the throw. That would have been the ridiculous finale to end all ridiculous finales for her to manage to cut her partner's head off with the very sword she was trying to throw to her. But Bridget adjusted and snatched the sword out of the air. Grasping it with both hands she turned to face the lamia again. She flourished the shinning steel and screamed words that Needy understood not in the slightest.

"Lamhlaidir a n-Uachtar!"

And then she charged.

Needy's attention returned to the doorway the remaining cloaked and hooded figures had been trying to escape through. Only a few remained and they had stopped. Instead of leaving they were parting and one was frantically gesturing towards something on the other side. Whatever it was Needy doubted that it would be anything or anyone who would be helping her and her fighting mad partner.

She rushed the door just in time to meet the first of the reinforcements. The bad guys reinforcements she judged, since they were the uniformed security guards who manned the gate as well as patrolled the grounds of the community. Now they were armed with shotguns and pistols as well as radios.

Well the first one HAD come armed with a shotgun anyway. Needy snatched it out of his hands, spun it around and jammed the butt into his stomach. Once he was satisfactorily doubled-over she brought the butt up and snapped his head back. Spinning it around she pulled the trigger.

The blast flung men backwards. Apparently someone had fooled with the trigger sear because instead of the shotgun waiting for her to release the trigger before reloading the action cycled and the twelve gauges roared again. And again. And again. Seven rounds of double-aught buckshot cleared the crowd around her, including some of the robed figures. Unlike Bridget those figures didn't pop back up to their feet. Speaking of her partner...

Needy dropped the now empty shotgun and snatched up another from a guard who had lost any interest in it; or anything else in the world from the looks of him. The immediate threat gone for the moment at least she spun towards the sound of Bridget and the lamia.

The snake creature had a coil around Bridget but the deep cuts obviously delivered by the vampire girl's sword seemed to have robbed it of its crushing ability. The pair rolled back and forth on the stone floor. The other girl was too close to get in good blows with the sword but she was clutching the dagger she had picked up earlier and was stabbing the weakening lamia brutally where the snake body turned into a woman. Needy saw where the snake woman had viciously bitten her partner numerous times. What worried her was that the wounds were not healing almost instantly as they had at first. Who would triumph?

Maybe she could help in that decision. She pointed the shotgun towards the two struggling figures but couldn't get a clear shot. She hesitated. Bridget had often assured her she would heal from almost any wound except those in the heart region but was that true right now?

The decision was taken out of her hands by an explosion of figures through the door. Mixed guards and cultists and even some in street clothing. They rushed her in a body, screaming and apparently not intimidated at all by her shotgun. They bowled her over. She curled up and rolled to the side in an attempt to get out from under the stampeding feet.

The group suddenly recoiled. Needy realized that the lamia and vampire had blocked the other entrance as she peeked up from the wall she had made her way to after getting stepped on more times than she wanted to think about. Also the teenager saw that the cultists were not attacking her, they were trying to escape. Pouring through the doorway after them was a group of black clad men; armed with assault rifles, submachine guns and other firearms. The hilt of a sword jutted over one shoulder of each man. Embroidered on the breast of their Kevlar armored vests was a small white shield with a red cross on it. Their back-up had arrived at last.

Cornered, the cultists turned like the rats they were and attacked the Knights. It was futile. Even the armed guards were no match for the highly trained, skilled and impassioned fighting men. But Needy gave them this, they went down fighting. Quarter was not asked nor was it offered.

As the last cultist hit the floor Needy staggered to her feet and looked for Bridget. The vampire girl was half-sitting, half-laying against a stone column supporting the arched roof. She still clutched the sword and knife she had been using. The lamia was thrashing on the floor, its human eyes wide and staring without blinking. As Needy watched the snake body convulsed again and laid still.

Needy started to walk over to Bridget but her strength gave out halfway there. Doggedly she crawled the last few feet and flung her arms around her partner.

"You scared me. I thought you were dead. More than once in fact. I thought this thing had you."

"Nope," came the one word reply. Then Bridget was hugging her back fiercely for a moment. To Needy's surprise the other girl suddenly pushed her away.

"What is it?" Needy asked in surprise.

"Anita," the other girl looked ashamed for a moment. "I'm pretty badly hurt and for a moment I almost lost control of myself. When I get this banged up, so that my wounds don't heal while you watch, it means," Bridget hesitated and plunged on, "it means I need blood. Badly. And your neck was so close I could feel your heartbeat, sense the blood pounding in your throat."

"Don't worry! I will never, would never feed on you. I nearly lost my self-control once back when Germany was still separated into East and West and an East German scientist made me the subject of an experiment designed to make me kill an innocent. But sometimes it s very tempting, especially when I'm hurt. So better safe and sorry. I'm under control again."

"I'll never be afraid of you," Needy returned.

Bridget smiled. One of the men ran over, pulling off the black hood that had covered his features. To Needy's amazement it turned out to be Don, whom she had thought of as the computer geek back at the Knights' hidden base. He fumbled a pack that was riding on his shoulders from behind him. Setting it down he unzipped it and reached inside.

"You are a mess Bridget. Here, take this." He started to take something out and then hesitated, looking at Needy.

"What is it?" Needy asked.

"Anita if you would prefer not to watch this I won't blame you," answered Bridget. "But it IS part of me no matter what I might sometimes pretend."

"Go ahead," Needy said softly, guessing what was about to happen.

Don took out a clear plastic bag filled with a liquid that Needy was sure she knew what it was. Bridget took it. Once again her eyes grew red and her fangs showed. Without hesitation the vampire girl bit into the bag. There was a gurgling sound as the bag emptied. She reached out and without hesitation Don placed another full bag in her hand. She drank that one too and slumped back against the wall. But Needy saw the wounds begin to close up and shortly Bridget was on her feet albeit with an uncertain look on her face. Needy knew it was for her, no one else in the rescue party paid the slightest attention as to what was going on. Even Don merely stuffed the now empty bags, plainly marked "Whole Blood", back in his pack and reslung it without any real emotion on his face. It was obviously something he had seen before. So Bridget was only worried about her reaction.

Needy wrestled with her thoughts for about two entire seconds. Bridget WAS a vampire yes. But she wasn't a bad person. Indeed she was a very good person and one whom Needy found herself more attracted to all the time. And she felt that attraction was returned. So she held out her hand.

"We need to get you cleaned up. We need to get ME cleaned up. Do you suppose anything is left at the house here?"

"I certainly hope so. I nee a shower in the worst way. You can't imagine..."

"How bad lamia blood smells? Oh yes I can. I could smell it, and you, from across the cavern."

"Yes well just be glad you don't know how it tastes!" Bridget's glum expression made Needy break out into laughter. The two girls, still holding hands, headed for the quite completely ruined entrance.

"By the way, it s not yet morning Bridget," Don called after them. "But you better hurry."

"Thanks."

"So, "Needy asked as they trudged up a long circular flight of stairs to emerge in the building where they had been dinner guests what seemed like a week ago, "exactly how did you manage to arrive here in time to keep me from being eaten?"

(To be continued) 


	8. Revelations and Confessions

It's Not Over, Chapter 8 by patricia51

(Revelations and Confessions)

An unoccupied car with the keys in in the ignition provided the two girls with a faster way back to their house than walking. Since the vehicle was marked "Security" it was unlikely that anyone would be complaining about their unauthorized use of it. The sky was just beginning to lighten when they pulled up to the front door of their temporary residence and scurried inside.

Needy turned around at the front door to see Bridget was staring at the Eastern sky with a hint of longing in her eyes. Before the blonde could start back towards her partner the other girl shook her head and briskly trotted up the steps and into the house.

"A bath," the blonde mumbled. "I need a bath worse than the night you found me."

"Actually you wouldn't believe how bad you smelled that night," Bridget teased her. "I could pick you up from across the entire room."

"Could not!"

"Okay I couldn't," admitted the vampire girl. "But now I can because I recognize your scent. It was how I was able to track you to that cavern." She held up a hand. "Before we go to asking and answering questions, before anything else, I need a drink. And you've earned one as well."

With that the red head guided Needy into the study. She opened the cabinet the pair had found during their exploration of the house. It contained a quite full stock of liquor and wines that were best at room temperature. By mutual agreement they had left everything alone during their investigation, deciding drinking could come after they had solved their case.

Bridget reached immediately for one bottle. She removed the cap while she rummaged under the array of spirits. Grunting with satisfaction she pulled out two heavy tumblers. She poured one about half full. She turned to Needy.

"What'll you have partner?"

Needy had never been much of a drinker but the thought was very appealing to her after the day, or rather night, the two of them had just finished.

"What are you having?" she temporized.

"Irish whiskey of course. Straight up, no ice and," she pulled out a third glass and filled it from a stainless steel spout, "water on the side."

"The same," said Needy, trying to sound perfectly confident. From the crooked grin that Bridget tried to hid the blonde girl she hadn't come across at all as confident. Oh well. Gamely she picked up her glass of whiskey.

"So Anita," the vampire girl picked her drink up, tossed it down in long fluid motion and then sipped her water. "What all did you want to ask me?" As she poured a second drink, she saw what the other girl was doing and hastily added, "Anita don't try that!"

It was too late. Copying her friend Needy had tipped the glass up and let the whiskey pour into her mouth. For an instant the liquid was smooth and smoky. Then it hit her and she gasped. Tears sprang up in her eyes. She coughed. She choked. Bridget pounded her back while reminding her to breathe. Finally back under control she looked at her friend reproachfully.

"I'm sorry!" said Bridget, shaking with laughter now that she was sure her friend was all right. "I didn't think you would do that too. Just remember, I've been drinking for four hundred odd years now."

Now that the burning was past a warm glow began to spread throughout Needy's body from her tummy. Following Bridget's lead again she sipped a little from her refilled glass and followed it with the same from the water. That was better.

The pair of girls turned from the bar. Somehow Bridget managed to snag the bottle and brought it along with them, juggling it, her drink and her glass of water without spilling a drop from either. They collapsed on to a handy soft couch and both of them groaned.

"We're making a mess," Needy noted in a tone of voice that suggested she wasn't really concerned about the dirt, grime and probable blood they were getting on the furniture.

"We'll clean it up latter," returned Bridget with the same lack of worry. "Or someone else will."

They sipped their drinks and let their bodies relax.

"What did you ask me before?" asked Bridget after the tension finally began to leave their bodies.

Needy sorted through her thoughts and laughed. "Quite a lot of things come to think of it. I was wondering originally how you came to find me. That leads to other ones. I suppose the uppermost one in my mind is what in the world were you screaming when you attacked the lamia with the sword?"

"Oh THAT." Bridget smiled. "That's the ancient war cry of the O'Brien clan. In Gaelic of course. But freely translated into English it means 'Strong Hand Uppermost'."

Fascinated Needy blurted out "So you're from a warrior clan? Was your father a chieftain?"

"Well all Irish clans are warrior ones at the bottom. But no, my father was an innkeeper I suppose you would say. He and my mother, and my brothers and sisters, had a combination rest house and tavern in a small village. While he WAS the most prominent citizen he was not a warrior."

The vampire girl's face softened in the glow of old memories and her eyes took on that faraway look that Needy had seen before. "He was wonderful though. He was strong and gentle too and very much in love with my mother. He was tall and she was little and they were the most incredible couple. I always hoped I would be half as fortunate as they were. I don't even blame them for what happened..."

Bridget stopped, lost in memories that Needy dared not ask about. But she was sure they were not as happy as the ones the centuries old girl had been reliving just before then. Thinking quickly she changed the subject.

"I figured out that the drugs they gave us must have incapacitated you too. And I heard someone say you were dead."

"Technically I AM after all," replied Bridget. "But yes. I went out right after I saw you collapse. When I came around I had been dumped in a hole and a couple of the guards were just starting to shovel dirt on top of me. It wasn't the first time that hole had been used either. We'll anonymously tip off the authorities and they can at least recover the bodies of the cult's victims. As for the cultists, well, no one is ever going to find them."

Bridget shook her head. "I took care of the two goons who were burying me and headed back to the house, hoping to pick up your trail. Naturally of course I had lost my necklace with the alarm but once I reached the house I borrowed a cell phone from someone who didn't need it anymore and called in the cavalry. After that I went hunting for you."

"Fortunately I picked up your scent almost immediately and followed it. I was a bit baffled by a secret door they had taken you through, one that led down to the cavern but one of the servants showed me how to open it. Incidentally, she and some of the others were not part of the cult but were too terrified to do anything. We'll spirit them out of the area to another place where they will be safe until we investigate to determine how far flung this group is."

"You think there are more? Elsewhere?" Needy asked.

"I don't know but better safe than sorry. Don and the other folks from Intelligence will search computers and paper records. They're very good." Bridget shrugged and then laughed. "I wouldn't be much help there. I still have this sneaky suspicion that computers operate on some sort of magic."

"I sure was happy to see you. Or hear you first actually," Needy confessed. She giggled. "And channeling Siguorney Weaver too."

"I didn't even realize what I was yelling," the other girl admitted. "I was originally going to wait for the back-up to arrive. I'm sure Daniel," Needy nodded her head, recognizing the name of the stern but warm hearted head of the chapter who had presided over her admission to the Knights, "will chew me out as usual for rushing in but nobody; I mean NOBODY sacrifices my partner to anyone or anything."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Moved by a sudden impulse Needy leaned her head against Bridget's shoulder. It felt nice. She felt safe. She felt even safer when the other girl put her arm around her and hugged her.

"You can count on me."

Needy lifted her head and met Bridget's eyes with her own gaze. Two faces leaned in and before the blonde even knew what was happening she was kissing Bridget. And the vampire girl was kissing her back.

Needy's eyes closed. Even then though she couldn't even pretend it was Jennifer. Yes, Bridget's lips were soft, as only another girl's could be. But were Jennifer, even before she was changed, ever this cool and yet igniting a warm feeling deep inside her?

Before she could pursue those thoughts any further Bridget pulled back slightly and stood up.

"Oh my God Anita I need a bath worse than you do." A look crossed her face, a look Needy couldn't quite decipher. "Thank goodness the coffin filled with graveyard dirt is another legend. I really don't like the smell of that."

With that the red-head left without a backwards glance. Needy heard her footsteps on the stairs and then the sound of a door opening and closing.

Needy sighed, rose and trudged after her, her what? Her partner for sure. Her friend without a doubt. But was there more there? And did she want there to be? Maybe so but did Bridget feel the same way?

She entered her room. Through the adjoining door she could hear the water running in Bridget's bathroom. As she pulled off her blood and dirt stained clothing she realized just how appealing a shower sounded. By the time she had the water running and steaming up the spacious bathroom she was eager to hop in. And it did feel good, as god as a shower had ever felt. She wiggled, scrubbed all over, washed her hair and found herself reluctant to get out. But she did, dried her hair with the built in blower and wrapped herself in an incredibly thick and soft towel.

Her mind had gone into neutral with the sheer physical pleasure of the hot water beating down on her body. Now it woke up and once again turned to thoughts of her partner.

Needy was sure she wasn't gay. Yes, she admitted, she had been more than half in love with Jennifer and probably would have been a lot more than half had the other girl allowed it. That was before everything that happened of course. The thing occupying Jennifer's body had come on to her and the lure had been well-nigh irresistible but even when she almost gave in she knew it hadn't been Jennifer.

She had had a boyfriend back then. She missed Chip. She had even had sex with Chip and when Jennifer had attacked her at the pool Chip had saved her by stabbing Jennifer with the skimmer. It had hurt terribly when he died and that was what gave her the drive to kill Jennifer, or maybe actually free her friend from what had possessed her body.

So what drew her to Bridget? Well, some of it was pretty obvious. The Irish vampire girl was attractive, intelligent and had come to her rescue more than once. Needy knew she would never forget the anger in Bridget's voice or the look of fury on her face when she had attacked the lamia.

What to do? She could sit here all night. She could go to sleep. Or, Needy turned from the bed and walked to the connecting door between their bedrooms.

"Come on in Anita," the other girl called even as Needy raised her hand to knock.

Shaking her head but with a smile the blonde girl opened the door. "That vampire hearing of yours," she said.

"The sharpened senses are a bit of a bonus although," Bridget wrinkled her nose and pretended to choke, "There are times when the extra-human sense of smell is a little overwhelming. Thus the showers."

"And now?"

The red-head came closer.

"Her name was Ling."

Confused Needy blurted out "Whom?"

"The person who gave me my sword." Bridget sat on the side of the bed and patted the spot next to her. "Anita, I think I know how you are beginning to feel about me. I feel that way about you too. But before we go further I want to tell you about the last time I really fell in love.

Needy's heart leaped at Bridget's declaration. But the sadness in the vampire girl's eyes made her sit on her emotions. As calmly as she could she sat beside Bridget.

"Go ahead."

(To be continued)


	9. Who Dares to Love Forever?

It's Not Over, Chapter 9 by patricia51

(Who Dares to Love Forever?)

(Note: Portions of this chapter previously published as a part of my novella "Bridget's Days".)

(Beijing, 1665)

CLANG!

I frantically hopped back, a move that was becoming tiresomely common. No matter how I tried to dodge or block, the razor sharp sword edge wove closer and closer to me. It danced like lightning, first threatening my head, then my body. It dipped towards my leg and I sprang sideways, only to have it curl around from the other direction. It hinted at my hand and then swept back at my neck. Grasping the hilt of my own blade with both hands I managed to block the blow. I leaped forward as I tried to bind the other blade with mine and then spin around to launch my own attack.

My blade hissed through the air, meeting nothing. Then a cold edge was laid on the nape of my neck as I stumbled with the wasted force of my own swing.

"Bridget, you're dead." A woman's tinkling laughter floated through the air as the two of us lowered our swords. "And it won't do any good to remark that you already are. A headless vampire is as dead as a headless mortal."

"I have no intention of arguing with you, Ling." I smiled at the incredibly graceful Oriental woman I knew to be a vampire at least a hundred years older than me. "I'm just grateful for you taking the time to teach me. My knowledge of sword-fighting has always relied more on our greater strength rather than any sort of finesse."

"I know that well." She laughed again and I would have blushed had I been capable of it. "No, no," she went on, sensing my embarrassment. "You are getting better each time we spar." Her eyes twinkled "You should just practice more rather than wander the city at night. I have an idea that a large number of men, and women too, find you fascinating with your green eyes and red hair and white skin. But pleasure needs to be balanced with work, even for us. Now, spend the next few nights following the movements that you have learned, while I am gone. Master them, Bridget."

I carefully saluted her and then bowed my head. "I will, Ling." She returned the bow, gathered her things together and left. If she was conscious of my eyes following her, just enjoying the sight, she gave no indication of it.

I gave a little sigh. Oh well. As attracted as I was to her, I wasn't going to risk the friendship that had sprung up between us just for a roll in the hay, or the silk perhaps. Beside, the interest I had in her became all the more keen for being delayed. After all, it wasn't like either of us was going anywhere. I hoped.

I dutifully followed Ling's instructions and exercised as she had taught me for another couple of hours. Then I scampered inside, cleaned up and changed from cotton trousers and shirt to a "giapo". Translated as "long dress", it was a high collared and tight waisted dress with a long slit up the side allowing the legs to be shown off. One day it would be known as a cheongsam. I buttoned it up the right side, luxuriating in the feel of the silk fabric. Silk had been exported to Europe for centuries but the quantities involved didn't allow it to filter down to the masses, like me. I marveled at the sensual feel of the fabric.

I ran my hands slowly over my body. I had planned to wander out into what remained of the night. Beijing was a tumultuous and exciting city and Ling was right, I had no trouble attracting companionship, either male, female or both. But now I decided that I wanted no lover other than myself.

I laid down on the sleeping couch and stretched, feeling cat-like in my comfort. The cushions were soft and the silk weave caressed my body. I brought my hands down from over my head and slid them down my sides. Deliberately, I tensed, arching my body slightly. I tightened my leg muscles, pointing my toes as my fingers slipped down my legs.

My palms retraced their down sweep, moving slowly up the front of my thighs. My extended thumbs pulled the silk taut for an instant between my legs. My fingers paused to stroke my flat stomach and then resumed their trek. Finally I relaxed against the cushions as my hands cupped my breasts, rubbing the silk against the skin and over my nipples.

I closed my eyes and lost myself in the sensations. I squeezed my breasts gently, then my fingers crept to the now erect nipples. Taking them firmly between forefingers and thumbs I began to roll them, then pinch them as they grew hard. The silk slipping over my stiffening nubbins felt incredible, bringing an involuntary moan to my lips.

I continued to play with my breasts, pressing them together as though offering them to a lover's mouth. I twisted and turned on the couch. I bent my right leg, shifting so the slit skirt fell away from it. I ran my foot up and down the inside of my other leg. The silk caressed the inside of my left leg as well as the bottom of my foot and I shivered.

I bit my lip. I could feel my fangs struggling to drop from the sheer excitement of the moment. In fact, I could feel my body trembling already as I built towards a climax just from my breast play. Almost hastily I slide my right hand down my side.

I hesitated for a second when my fingers brushed my thigh and started to slip through the slit in my gown. If the silk felt like this against my breasts, I wondered how would it feel against my pussy.

I parted my legs, one bare, the other covered to my ankle. Using the tip of one finger, I delicately rubbed the material against me. My eyes opened wide at the feeling of the silk slipping between my swollen lips. I added two fingers and began to stroke up and down my open, wet slit.

Faster and faster I rubbed. My legs strained to part further, hampered by the gown bunching around my hips. I tightened my grip on my left nipple, pulling and twisting it. I jammed my silk covered hand inside of me and sought my pearl with my thumb. The very first scrape against my clit set me off. My fangs dropped all the way and I pinched my nipple so hard that it would have bled had I been human. I barely managed to swallow the scream I so wanted to vocalize.

As the shudders of my body calmed, I slumped back against the couch. Now I felt deliciously weary from both the vigorous sword practice and from my orgasm. I started to drift off to sleep as I considered how I had ended such a long way from my native Ireland.

After my first attempt to reach the Orient had been checked in Budapest, I had returned first to France and then to Ireland. Always I found myself drawn back to the green country of my birth, and my death. But the countryside that was my home was could only be visited briefly. Vampires by necessity are creatures of the cities of man. We are solitary and secretive. We do not band together, lest we be noticed. We glide through the shadows. Our greatest safety lies in that we are a superstition, that we do not exist.

I had, along with all of Ireland, fought and been defeated, indeed crushed, by Cromwell in 1649 and 1650. Great cruelties incite horrible vengeance. I still strive to forget not only the horrors the Ironsides inflicted on my people, but the inhuman things I did trying to stop them. The nightmare still rides me sometimes, reminding me of what I did to save the village of my birth. For a long time I hated England. I know that it was not England, nor the English as a people who deserved my hate, but it took a century and more for me to come to terms with it.

So I began wandering again. Across Northern Europe and then down to the Middle East (carefully avoiding Hungary). I would have loved to have visited the Holy Land but that region was in turmoil. Had I known then what I know now, I would have gone. Its not as if its ever got better.

Finally I arrived in Baghdad, a major city on the route that would one day be called "The Silk Road". Although its importance had declined, the caravans still plodded from East to West. It takes more than revolution and the fall of empires and dynasties to stop merchants from trading. I would see what could have been almost the same caravans still moving across the ancient route centuries later when I was back in China watching the struggle between the Nationalists and the Communists.

I made an arrangement with one of the caravan masters to travel with his company. He attempted to enlist my services as a cook. This was something so beyond my ability as to be mind-boggling. I was not to learn the difference between a pot and a pan for 350 years, and only then mastered that art when my darling Mike casually mentioned he had found a loophole in church law that allowed for annulment in cases where the wife attempted to poison her husband.

I had contracted to have a special wagon built for me. I had remembered Susanna telling me of the wagons her Gypsy tribe used for travel and had one of those houses-on-wheels constructed. I hired a driver and spent the long days of travel across the rocky deserts comfortably inside. Whenever I touched the gaily painted wagon I thought of her and Yusef and hoped that they were still happy together and were doting grandparents at least.

Slowly we made our way East. When the ancient road forked, we took the northern route looping up through Mongolia and down through the Great Wall. I concentrated on what I could see of the passing scenery by night and learning enough to get by of a couple of the major dialects of Chinese. During the journey, various travelers joined and left the caravan as intermediate stops were reached. We were already in China when another closed wagon joined the caravan.

I, of course, was only out of my wagon at night. It was on one of those nights that I observed a group of men slip into camp and attempt to steal that other wagon. I had leaped among them and scattered them even as they were carrying off two mysterious passengers I had never seen.

It turned out the twosome were the young son and daughter of one of the influential noble advisors at the Imperial Court. Rather than make a big production of bringing his children to Beijing, he had sought to bring them there in secret.

His gratitude, and the worry that someone within the court itself was supplying information to rebels and outlaws, led to my introduction to Ling. She was a complex and fascinating woman. Slender and smaller even than myself, she possessed a speed and agility that took my breath away. And her prowess with the imported Japanese sword known as the katana was simply astounding.

As a favor to the nobleman, she took me as a student. She worked me mercilessly, without criticism but without praise. I was therefore floored one day when she presented me with a sword similar to her own.

"Its about time you learned to use a civilized weapon Bridget. I don't think we can progress any further with that sword of yours."

I was slightly offended by the description of my Italian rapier, but at the same time was grateful that she thought me worthy to continue to train. I took the offered sword with thanks. It was because of that I made a discovery.

One night we were engaged in a long practice bout. She had never questioned why I only was around after dark, and the thought didn't even cross my mind that I never heard from her except at night. She was showing me an intricate movement. As I went through the steps with her beside me, her attention was momentarily diverted just as I slipped. I wavered, trying to regain my balance. I flung my hands out and the edge of my sword gashed Ling's arm.

I gasped and tore off a piece of my loose fitting shirt to bandage her arm. Then I gasped even deeper. Her arm was not bleeding. As I watched, the wound began to knit itself.

"Oh my GOD." I covered my mouth with my free hand. "You too?"

For the first and only time I saw Ling surprised. Then she laughed.

"I wondered why you never seemed to offer any arguments about training at night. I thought you were being polite. I never realized that you were like me."

"A vampire." I stated. Might as well get it out in the open.

"Yes, a vampire," she replied. She went on to explain a bit about her history. She never told me the circumstances of her turning, that is a subject that vampires rarely share with each other. But I found out that the Emperor, and his predecessors were aware of her nature. She remained loyal to the Throne and they to her.

For some time the only result that I could tell of our mutual discovery was that Ling pushed me harder and longer than any human could have tolerated. That was why after practice that night I had elected to forego a visit to the city proper and instead satisfy myself s I had. Now all I wanted to do was sleep.

Had I not been what I was, I doubt that I would have heard the stealthy footsteps in my chamber. As quietly and as naturally as I could, I rolled onto my side, my hand questing for the sword tucked under my sleeping couch. My fingers curled around the hilt. I did not draw it from its sheath, but tensed myself, my eyes straining through the darkness.

This was an unsettled time in China. The Qing Dynasty of the invading Manchu's had just completed the conquest of the country. They had captured Beijing in 1644 and the last rebel Ming prince had been seized and executed only three years previously. K'ang Hsi had become Emperor that same year, following Shunzhi. Ling had told me he was consolidating the Manchu power throughout China and had his eye on conquering Tibet. He would eventually do that. At the same time, he was promoting science and the arts were beginning to flourish under his encouragement, stifled as they had been under the last Mings.

I felt more than heard the intruder draw nearer. I did hear a whisper of sound that I realized was a sword being stealthily drawn. I rolled from my sleeping couch, the hilt of my katana in both hands, poised to strike. Barely did I glimpse a shadowy figure dart across the room and out the door. I sprang to the window, ducking under the thick curtains that hung there, my eyes straining through the gloom. Was that someone or was it only a trick of my eyes that seemed to flow from the tree in the courtyard to the wall and into the night?

I carefully barred the door and waited until I knew the sun was up. Then I laid back down and returned to a fitful sleep. From that night on I slept all day as usual, but spent almost every waking moment practicing. Somehow, something was up. I was sure the intruder had been in my chamber because I was Ling's pupil.

Finally one night Ling was back. I could see exhaustion in her face. Even vampires can wear themselves out with lack of sleep and too much work and worry. As soon as possible I drew her to my side. She listened to my tale without comment until I finished. Then she sighed.

"Bridget, among other things, I serve as a bodyguard to the Emperor. I also prowl among the people at night, listening to them. Most of the populace doesn't care who occupies the throne, they simply want to be left alone to live their own lives. Of the remainder, the majority are in favor of the Manchus. But some are not. There is a group of Ming nobles that aches for their restoration to favor and power. I suspect they have hired a group of nin-sha assassins to kill the Emperor and the Manchu Royal Family. I am determined to prevent this."

She looked into the distance. "I am not Manchu but Han. Never-the-less, peace, safety and stability mixed with more freedom than generations have seen are spreading through my land. I will do whatever I must to keep things as they are."

She turned to me. "You are perceived as a threat because of your closeness to me. Perhaps you should go. I have no right to put you in danger."

"NO!" I exclaimed involuntarily. "I don't want to leave you."

Ling looked sharply at me. I stood firm under her gaze. Something flickered through her eyes and I felt my heart surge up in my chest for a moment.

"Then we must make you a match for them, Bridget. We must train."

So we trained. I was determined to show Ling that I could be a valuable companion. It also gave me the opportunity to spend lots of time with a woman that I realized was enthralling me. The shape of her body, the slight twist of her eyebrow when she was surprised, the way she would nibble her lower lip when she was in deep thought.

I accompanied her on occasions when she slipped through the night to seek information. These were training sessions too. Sometimes she threw up her hands at my blundering through shadows that she moved noiselessly through. I never came close to her grace of movement, not her lightning speed with a sword, but I grew much more adept at both than I ever thought I could. And every progression, every word of praise, drew me closer to Ling and made me crave her even more.

Things came to a head one night when she had gone out on her own. I had nervously waited for her, walking the floor well passed the midnight hour. When she finally returned I was struck by the look of worry on her face.

"Bridget, events are overtaking us. Whatever attempt the plotters are going to make is coming soon. You are not safe here. I want you to leave Beijing now."

"No," was all I replied.

"Bridget, listen to me! These assassins are deadly. I have done my best to prepare you but you are still no match for them. Perhaps if we had more time..." Her words trailed off as I shook my head.

"Ling, I am not leaving. I am not running away from here, from YOU." I searched her face, looking for a hint of what I thought I had seen before. "Don't you understand Ling? I love you."

The silence stretched out between us for what seemed like hours. Then Ling's hand rose.

"Oh Bridget," she touched my face with her fingertips. Her eyes misted. "Its been so long. I always thought I feared nothing. But I fear losing you. I love you too."

I turned my head and kissed each finger. Her hand ran gently down my body before she interlaced her fingers with mine.

"Come with me." She led me through corridors and doorways until we reached rooms that must have been her own chambers. We faced each other beside her sleeping couch, holding hands and staring at each other.

Finally I managed to lean forward and kiss her. Our lips clung to each others, sharing a thousand tiny kisses. Our fingers unlaced in order to run down arms and over hips, to brush over hidden breasts and trace the curves of legs and bottoms.

"Close your eyes," whispered Ling.

I stood motionless, my arms outstretched as Ling slowly stripped me. Her touch was a light as a feather. I felt her move away from me and yearned to follow but I resisted, remaining where I was although I trembled with desire.

"Open your eyes Bridget."

I did, and if I could have fainted I would have. Ling stood in a square of moonlight. She lifted her arms over her head and let the pale light wash over her slender, nude body. The long black hair tumbling around her shoulders was all her body possessed. She raised herself on her toes and stood motionless, an exquisite statue formed in porcelain.

I took one faltering step after another, afraid that this vision of Oriental beauty would somehow prove to be an illusion. She moved not until I reached her. Even then, she simply lowered herself to the balls of her feet and slid her feet slightly apart.

I could not stop. I could not stand before her. In one motion I fell to my knees. I wanted to worship every inch of this woman. I managed to hold myself back from diving into her. Instead, I touched her legs. My hands crept around to the back of her thighs and then slowly I followed the curves of her legs, down to the back of the knees and then over the smooth, slender calves. She shivered. Her bare womanhood glistened with a single drop of nectar. My hands rose up the sides of those wonderful legs, feeling the muscles bunch. Then I brushed over her tight, taut ass and I could resist no longer.

I placed a soft kiss on her bare pussy. Oh so slowly, I dragged my tongue over her, exploring the folds and creases and hidden places of her. I dipped down to run my tongue over the inside of her thighs and then up over her to kiss her firm, flat belly. I reached up to her breasts. Even smaller than mine, they were works of art as delightful as any that I have ever seen, or touched. My hands cupped them, holding them, feeling the nipples poking into my palms even as I slipped my tongue inside Ling.

She was every bit as sweet as I had hoped. My head moved slightly, up and down, back and forth, helping my tongue and lips explore her. My fingers danced across the curves of her ass, slipping between the cheeks and fleetingly touching her rose.

Ling ran her fingers through my hair. Low, soft moans drifted down to my ears. Then she suddenly caught my shoulders and lifted me up until her mouth could seize mine again.

"Oh no Bridget," she moaned as she pulled me tight against her. "You don't get to have all the fun yourself." She all but carried me to the couch, falling with me until we were locked in tangle of arms and legs and questing fingers and lips. She rolled me onto my back and kissed down my body. I feebly protested as her lips swept over my breasts and my quaking stomach.

"Ling, oh my, ohhh, Ling, please, you said, please let me." My stammerings were cut short as she flipped her lithe form around and settled herself down on me, effectively shutting my mouth so it could reopen for something more delightful than talk.

Her breath was cool on my thighs as she parted them. She giggled suddenly. "Bridget! All this hair. You better hope I can find you amidst this jungle.

She could. As my head tipped back and my tongue reentered her she wormed her way through my "forest" and found my already throbbing, unhooded clit. It only took a few gentle strokes from my Chinese lover and I was falling over the edge. A firm grasp on her ass, a deep thrust of my tongue inside her and she was falling with me.

We made love through the rest of the night until even we lay helpless in exhaustion. We slept the day around wrapped in each others' arms. I didn't want to ever leave hers.

The next night I moved my belongings into Ling's apartment. We trained even harder as she pushed me along as fast as she could. Hours of sparring were followed by hours of passion. Occasionally we slipped from the Palace to feed. Ling was as careful and as concerned to cause no lasting harm to anyone as I was. I knew she would be like that. Every night I fell deeper and deeper in love with this wise and erotic woman.

I was in my favorite position, nestled against Ling's body, the night that the assassins struck. Only vampire ears could have detected the sound of their entrance in time for us to both spring from our couch. Ling's sword leaped into her hands while I hurled the table beside the bed through the doorway and the window beyond, letting the torchlight from the hallway and the garden into our chambers.

There were 6 of them. They were clad in loose fitting clothing and felt slippers, with masking cloths wound around their heads. Only their eyes could be seen. I dodged the blows that two of them aimed at me. In doing so I lost my balance and sprawled on the floor. I tried to crawl to my sword as Ling attacked, driving all but the last man before her.

The last nin-sha sprang for me. I abandoned my attempt to reach my sword, instead rolling under the thrust of his blade. My hand and arm made a straight line from my shoulder as I came up on my knees. Nin-sha or not, when my fist slammed into his balls, the assassin screamed.

He doubled over as I rolled again to come to my feet. A snap kick to his jaw stretched him out. Three frantic steps brought me to my katana and I tore it from the sheath. Then I stood there for an moment in complete awe of my lover.

Unbelievably Ling was facing the five masked fighters and driving them all before her. The incredibly graceful form that I adored bent, twisted and slipped from one foe to another without pause. Her sword was a blur of lightning that even my eye couldn't follow. The assassins might have had a lifetime each of training, but Ling had decades of experience for every year of theirs.

Then I was beside her. As a human I would have been no match for any of them, but my greater strength and speed made me almost their equal. And with Ling it was no contest. One by one the attackers fell. I killed one and Ling handled the others. She reached down and tore the hood from the head of the one who had appeared to be the leader and grunted in satisfaction.

"This is the one, Bridget. His name was Loung Sho and he was the ringleader. With his death this threat is ended. The plotters who arranged this will not dare to move again."

Our arms went around each other and we kissed. We smiled in each others' eyes and this time I was the one who touched her cheek in happiness. The Emperor was safe and so were we.

Suddenly Ling's eyes opened wide in shock as something seemed to burst from her breast. The impact threw me from her arms and I staggered back, staring at the point of the stake protruding from her body. Then she exploded into ashes. Behind where she had been stood the last man, the one I had knocked down, and failed to finish.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed and leaped forward. My sword whistled through the air driven by every ounce of my inhuman strength and the killer torso fell one way and his legs another. Then my katana dropped from my hands and I collapsed to my knees, weeping so hard I couldn't see.

The noise of the fight had finally aroused the palace and the room was flooded with guards and servants. I allowed them to take the bodies of the attackers away but fended off every attempt to touch me or disturb where I knelt.

Had we been human I could have held Ling's body. God, I could have gone to the grave with her. But I had nothing, just a scattering of dust that was all that remained of my beloved. Wildly I managed to gather up what I could. Casting my eyes about the room, I snatched a delicate vase and deposited in it what of Ling's remains I could grasp. Then I rocked back and forth, keening as I remembered from my homeland.

Nights passed while I remained prostrate with grief. Finally I rose and sought out certain court advisors. They gave me the names of those disgruntled nobles who were believed to be behind the plot.

I left Beijing two nights later, after a final night that I will not speak about even today. Let it be remembered as a night of blood and rage that left the city quaking, and me shaken as I was once again reminded of the demon that lurked deep inside me. I took nothing with me except for a certain silk gown and Ling's sword.

(To Be Continued)


	10. Commitment

It's Not Over, Chapter 10 by patricia51

(Commitment)

(The present)

Without any thought or hesitation Needy scrambled onto the bed on her knees and threw her arms around Bridget. She held her as the vampire girl broke down. Needy rocked the sobbing girl, holding her and making little wordless noises of comfort and reassurance. Finally the other woman regained control of herself. She covered Needy's hands with her own and leaned back against the blonde girl.

"What happened then?" Needy finally asked.

"The noise of the fight had finally aroused the palace and the room flooded with guards and servants. I allowed them to take the bodies of the attackers away but fended off every attempt to touch me or disturb where I knelt.

"Had we been human I could have held Ling's body. God, I could have gone to the grave with her. But I had nothing, just a scattering of dust that was all that remained of my beloved. Wildly I managed to gather up what I could. Casting my eyes about the room, I snatched a delicate vase and deposited in it what of Ling's remains I could grasp. Then I rocked back and forth, keening as I remembered from my homeland.

"Nights passed while I remained prostrate with grief. Finally I rose and sought out certain court advisors. They gave me the names of those disgruntled nobles who were believed to be behind the plot.

"I left Beijing two nights later, after a final night that I will not speak about even today. Let it be remembered as a night of blood and rage that left the city quaking, and me shaken as I was once again reminded of the demon that lurked deep inside me. I took nothing with me except for a certain silk gown and two swords; Ling's and the one she had given me."

Needy remained quiet as she took in the story she had just heard. Understanding filled her eyes.

"And that is why you worry about falling in love." The words sounded like a question but they were actually a statement.

The vampire girl nodded.

"If even an immortal lover can be lost than what chance is there for happiness? But at the same time holding back is not exactly my style."

Needy had resumed her position sitting next to Bridget. She had taken the red head's hand, squeezed it and laughed.

"No you DO tend to be rather open about your feelings." She hesitated. "Have you fallen in love since then?"

"Of course, but not the same way I did with Ling. There have been other women and guys too as well that I grew close to." Bridget smiled. "I think I've hinted at a couple. The Woman's Army Corps Lieutenant Colonel I met when I was in the OSS during World War Two. Back in the Civil War I had a love affair with a woman spy for the Confederacy. That was even more delicious because I was a member of the Union Secret Service at the time."

"The very closest I came recently was with a young Army Lieutenant during the Vietnam War. He and his infantry platoon were attached to SOG, which supposedly stood for 'Studies and Observations Group'. In actuality it was the Special Operations Group and was responsible for clandestine operations both in South Vietnam and across the borders into North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I was a deep-cover CIA operative posing as a free-lance reporter for 'Rolling Stone'." She looked amused. "In fact even after all these years I still have a relationship with that magazine although it's supposedly the daughter of the writer back then who occasionally contributes articles for publication."

"What happened?"

"A bomb blew both of us out of the war. We each thought the other had been killed. By the time we met many years later he was a full Colonel at the Special Warfare Center. He was also married with three grown children and several grandchildren." Bridget looked rueful. "It seems sometimes that destiny takes a hand in making sure I don't settle down. Not that I could forever of course. Any mortal would grow old sooner or later and die while I continue on."

"Have you ever thought about...?

"Walking into the sunlight? I'm much to Catholic for suicide. As absurd as it may sound I still go to Mass, take Communion and go to Confession. Not that I tell the priest everything of course. And, I confess, most of the time I enjoy my life or unlife or whatever word would be the best fit. I might get a little wild about partying, something that has got me in trouble like you wouldn't believe. God, I nearly got burned at the stake in Budapest four hundred years ago because I was too drunk and sexually worn out to escape from a band of Hunters. But that aside, I have a good time and I feel like I have a purpose here. I believe everyone does. But after what happened to Ling I just hesitate about letting my heart go."

"Speaking of Ling, what happened to the vase and her ashes?"

"I buried it on a hill overlooking the city when I left. Centuries later I returned to China to observe the conflict between the Nationalist and Communist Chinese. I found the spot again and retrieved the vase. It was still sealed. I gave her ashes to the winds of the country she loved and brought the vase back with me. I still have it."

"At the headquarters?"

"No, at my home. One of them anyway."

"ONE of them?" asked Needy with a grin and a lifted eyebrow.

Bridget looked embarrassed. "Unlike a certain brooding TV vampire I DO have an investment portfolio. In fact," the other girl's embarrassment deepened so much Needy thought Bridget would have blushed had she not known the vampire girl was incapable of that, "I am very well off. There's a townhouse in Charleston, a cabin out in the woods of Colorado and what I consider my home place back in Ireland."

"A castle?" Needy teased.

"No, but an old manor house overlooking the ocean. The view is quite spectacular. I hope you'll love it as much as I do."

The blonde girl's heart beat faster. "So you're inviting me to visit?"

"I'm inviting you to consider a lot more than just visiting."

"I'm mortal."

"Are you?"

"Well I'm human anyway."

"I am too. Just because I'm a vampire doesn't make me any less human," the red head pointed out. "I'm not possessed by a demon or anything like that. I'm still Michael and Mary O'Brien's last and favorite child. Oh Anita I don't have the answers. I just know something in you calls to me more powerfully than I have felt in a very long time. It may be the more than normal power you have. You may be just as immortal as I am without needing to drink blood. Not that that means you can't be killed mind you. That thought scared the devil out of me when I saw that lamia about to feed on you."

"It may be that the loss you have suffered touches an equal loss in my own heart. And it may be none of those things Anita. It may simply be that in finding a partner I also found someone I fell in love with. Just because you are you."

Needy sat still for a moment. She looked at the other girl and her heart filled. "Needy."

"What?"

"That's my nickname that Jennifer gave me. It's short for Anita of course but it also described me. I clung to her and needed her."

"Maybe then. Not now. Not that needing someone is wrong or a sign of weakness but to me you aren't any clinging vine. You're a self-reliant and powerful woman and I love you for that."

Needy, no, now and forever just Anita needed no time to consider an answer. "I love you too Bridget."

The two girls kissed. It was only the light brushing of lips. No open mouth, no questing tongues, and no hands running frantically up and own each other's body. Yet that kiss held the promise of all that and so much more. They rested foreheads together and smiled in each other's eyes.

"What now?"

"Now we take a couple of really, REALLY tedious days to write reports. And then I think we're due a little vacation before our next case."

"What will that be?"

"No idea Anita darling. But there will be something I'm sure. Not until the final trumpet sounds will the battle between good and evil end. But until then we just will do the best that we can. In the meantime, have you ever been to Ireland?""

Anita knew that love was always a chance. You had to take the chance of losing it in order to gain it, to open yourself up to hurt before you can reach the happiness you looked for. But she was willing to try. Bridget was willing to try. Just for a moment her heart went out to someone else, to the first person she had loved before she turned to the person she loved now. In her heart she spoke to that person.

"Goodbye Jennifer."

(The End)


End file.
